Johnson not bitter after losing caddie to Woods

KINGSBARNS, Scotland (AP) — Dustin Johnson doesn't begrudge Tiger Woods for hiring his caddie, saying such decisions are part of the business of golf. Joe LaCava left Johnson on Sunday to become Woods' third full-time caddie. "I spoke to Tiger about it. There's no hard feelings at all," Johnson said Thursday after shooting a 1-under 71 in the first round of the Dunhill Links Championship. "We had a great conversation. He just did what he did." LaCava was the longtime caddie for Fred Couples but joined Johnson this summer. Johnson, one of the most talented American players, was looking for a caddie. Johnson won The Barclays last month with LaCava on the bag. "I liked Joe. I still do. But you've got to make decisions and you can't get mad at him for the decisions he made," said Johnson, who was in the locker room after the final round of the Tour Championship when he found out LaCava had been hired by Woods. "He got offered a job so he took it. You can't blame the guy. If he wants to go and caddie for him, it's fine by me." Johnson will have Keith Sbarbaro, vice president of his club maker, TaylorMade, on his bag for the rest of the year. Sbarbaro has caddied for Johnson in tournaments in South Korea and Germany this year. "He's a real good buddy of mine," Johnson said.

Haas named to Presidents Cup team

Turns out that sudden-death playoff Bill Haas won at East Lake was worth more than $11.44 million. It earned him a spot in the Presidents Cup. U.S. captain Fred Couples used his two picks Tuesday on Tiger Woods and Haas, who won the Tour Championship for his first win of the year. Couples took Haas, the son of vice captain Jay Haas, over Keegan Bradley, whose two wins this year include the PGA Championship. International captain Greg Norman took Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley, both of whom grew up in Melbourne. He said Allenby was an "automatic pick" because of his longtime success at Royal Melbourne, while Baddeley made it an easier choice when he tied for third at the Tour Championship. "Bill Haas knew he had to win last week, and he did it," Couples said. "I could not leave him off the team after that. When a guy knows that second place ... and he'll tell you, second place isn't good enough. And he understood that." He said if Haas had lost the playoff at East Lake and Bradley had finished fourth or fifth - he wound up tied for 11th - then Bradley would have been the pick. Couples said if Steve Stricker cannot play because of an injury, then Bradley would be chosen to replace him. Stricker had an MRI on Tuesday because of weakness in his left arm, although results were not immediately disclosed. Woods was announced as a pick five weeks ago. Couples thought it was important to let the rest of the Americans know there would be only one open spot after qualifying ended. Woods, who missed most of the summer with left leg injuries, did not return until August and played only two tournaments, missing the cut in the PGA Championship. He is playing next week at the Frys.com Open, and will play in the Australian Open the week before the matches. The Presidents Cup is Nov. 17-20 at Royal Melbourne. "Things are going great," Woods said. "We're practicing very hard up at The Medalist, and I'm playing as much as I possibly can, something that I hadn't done all summer because I hadn't been cleared to do it. "I'm really looking forward to getting my game rounded for The Presidents Cup." Couples also considered Brandt Snedeker, who finished 11th in the U.S. standings. "Congrats to bill haas/(at)tigerwoods. They deserve the picks. Although I'm very disappointed, I've very happy to have been considered. GO USA," Bradley said on Twitter. Bradley becomes the first American to win a major and be left off a team in the same year since British Open champion Todd Hamilton was not chosen for the 2004 Ryder Cup team. For the Presidents Cup, Ben Curtis (British Open) and Shaun Micheel (PGA) were left off the 2003 team. That was their only win that year. Bradley, a 25-year-old rookie, also won the Byron Nelson Championship. Couples said he spoke to Bradley for 45 minutes on the phone to explain his decision. "I'm not one to say, 'Hey, you're going to be on plenty of team.' I wouldn't want to hear that," Couples said. "I know he's a young player. I laid it out on the line and told him for really three or four weeks now where everyone stood. "I just felt like in this instance, Bill Haas has played two years, never been outside the top 12 position." Haas has won three times over the past two years. The rest of the American team that qualified two weeks ago were Stricker, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Webb Simpson and David Toms. It will be the first team competition for Haas, Watney and Simpson. Allenby and Baddeley give the International team - comprised of players from everywhere but the United States and Europe - five Australians for the matches at Royal Melbourne. It's the fifth time since the Presidents Cup began that the International side has had five Aussies. Allenby missed the '98 matches at Royal Melbourne because he was just recovering from a near-fatal car accident and did not qualify. It will be his sixth team, and by far the most important. "Going down to Melbourne and playing at Royal Melbourne is probably one of the biggest highlights of my career," Allenby said. Norman referred to him as an "automatic pick" because Allenby plays his best golf Down Under, one year winning the Australian Masters, Australian Open and the Australian PGA in the same year. Baddeley was a more difficult choice, especially after John Senden of Australia was runner-up in the final qualifying event outside Chicago two weeks ago. Baddeley finished one shot out of the playoff at the Tour Championship, while Senden finished 25th. "Knowing that we are playing in the backyard of Australian, I wanted to hopefully load up on the team with as many Aussies as I possibly could," Norman said. He said he put Baddeley and Senden on notice going into the Tour Championship. "Whoever played the best at the Tour Championship would obviously get the final nod," Norman said. The 10 who qualified for the International team are Adam Scott, Jason Day, Charl Schwartzel, Ernie Els, K.J. Choi, K.T. Kim, Ryo Ishikawa, Y.E. Yang, Geoff Ogilvy and Retief Goosen. Norman took Baddeley over Senden, former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Vijay Singh, who was the only player to have competed in all eight Presidents Cup matches.

MRI confirms neck injury for Stricker

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tests have confirmed that Steve Stricker has a herniated disk in his neck. The next step for the highest-ranked American golfer is figuring out what to do about it. Stricker's agent at IMG, Jon Heaton, said Wednesday that an MRI confirmed the neck injury. He says Stricker is not feeling any pain, although he is weak in his left arm. He says Stricker is consulting specialists and evaluating treatment options. Still to be decided is whether Stricker is fit enough to play Nov. 17-20 in the Presidents Cup. U.S. captain Fred Couples has said if Stricker can't play, he would be replaced by PGA champion Keegan Bradley.

With $11.4 million payout and wild finish, FedEx Cup was bonanza for Haas and fans

This will be remembered as the year the FedEx Cup came into its own, into all of the glorious, nonsensical weirdness we could have hoped for when a bunch of math geeks were sent into a room, a little over five years ago, and told to come out with great theater. The Tour Championship and FedEx Cup have always played out simultaneously, but it wasn't until Sunday that we realized just what we've created: a mad dash to the finish that is equal parts Powerball (utterly and deliciously random), game show, reality show (think "Big Break" on steroids) and traditional, four-round, medal-play golf tournament. Bill Haas, who at 25th in the FedEx Cup standings thought he was too far back to have a chance at the $10 million first prize, won a wild, three-hole playoff with Hunter Mahan to rake in $11.44 million, golf's biggest payday of the year — by a mile. At the end of a desperate and confusing day, not even Haas knew what he'd done, as evidenced by his first question to NBC's Jimmy Roberts before the trophy ceremony: "Who won the FedEx Cup?" The PGA Tour, finally, may have won. The Tour wanted all 30 players at the Tour Championship to have a chance at winning the $10 million FedEx bonanza, and the Tour tweaked the math until it got exactly that Sunday. Mahan was 21st in the standings and Haas was 25th, but they were playing for both the tournament and the Cup when four of the top five in FedEx Cup points failed to contend at East Lake. (Plucky, human-ATM Luke Donald tied for third place, to no one's surprise.) Haas scrambled out of trouble on the first two playoff holes, including a recovery shot from the edge of a water hazard on the par-4 17th , where about a quarter of his golf ball was submerged. He opened up a sand wedge, blasted out to three feet and made the putt for par. It was the shot of the tournament, if not the year, during an afternoon that was again dominated by mathematical projections and general bewilderment. The MacArthur Foundation last week selected 22 recipients for "genius awards" for achievements in the arts and sciences, but even a genius would have balked at calculating the combinations and permutations in play at East Lake, where everyone, it seemed, had a shot at $10 million. "There's a lot of scenarios," NBC's Johnny Miller said. "You've got to graduate from MIT to figure it out." Neither Haas nor Mahan had won a tournament in 2011. So how could the FedEx Cup, which rewards a player's "body of work" over the entire season, come down to those two? It didn't matter; the Cup becomes enjoyable the moment you stop trying to figure it out. Forget "These Guys Are Good." The mantra to remember in the FedEx Cup playoffs is "Just Go With It." "The most exciting FedEx Cup finish we've had," said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, to no argument. Haas won the whole shebang with his brother on his bag and his father, Champions Tour pro Jay, and mother following the action on foot. He also hit what may go down as the shot of the year, given everything that was on the line. (Haas, of course, was also playing to earn a Presidents Cup wild-card pick.) On the second playoff hole Haas lost his drive right, into a fairway bunker. His approach looked terrific until it bounded over the green and into the water hazard left of the green. He looked finished when Mahan, who had hit the fairway, knocked his approach to about 25 feet behind the pin. Haas walked to his ball and found that it wasn't entirely submerged, so he splashed his third shot up and out of the hazard. He tapped in to push the playoff back to the 235-yard, par-3 18th, where he won with a par. "I got an unbelievably fortunate break," Haas said. "It's basically just a bunker down there in the [shallow] water." Donald (69), K.J. Choi and Aaron Baddeley finished at seven under, a shot back, with Donald making a clutch birdie on 18 that he thought might have been enough to take home the $10 million. He will have to settle for another top 10, padding his lead atop the World Ranking, and a finish that might remain in voters' minds when it comes time to choose the player of the year. Haas improved to 1-2 in playoffs after losses at the Bob Hope and the Greenbrier earlier this season, and he becomes a top candidate to be a captain's pick for the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Captain Fred Couples will announce his wild-card picks Tuesday, and he's already said that one will go to Tiger Woods. The choice will likely come down to Haas, whose father is an assistant captain for the U.S., or Keegan Bradley, the winner of two tournaments this year, including the PGA. Mahan had lobbied for Bradley, but that was before Sunday. Steve Stricker, who had a cortisone shot in his neck before the Tour Championship and who has complained of weakness in his left arm, could bow out of the Presidents Cup, which would allow Couples to pick both Bradley and Haas. Third-round leader Aaron Baddeley, who was playing to impress Presidents Cup captain Greg Norman and had made everything in sight through 54 holes, fell back with a final-round 72. Still, his showing is likely to be enough to get the nod from Norman, a fellow Australian. The way things fell for him Sunday, it's hard to imagine Haas not wearing the red, white and blue at Royal Melbourne in November, but even if by some strange twist of fate he isn't picked, he'll have won a whale of a consolation prize, or two prizes, worth more collectively than his dad's career earnings. That's the FedEx Cup. Just go with it. Tweet

Here's what picked me up and brought me down about the Solheim Cup

What picked me up and brought me down about the Solheim Cup Buzz: Golfapalooza. Solheim Cup at 2:30 a.m. Eastern flowing right into the Tour Championship. Buzz Kill: Tuning in for the Tour Championship only to discover the Solheim Cup is running more than an hour over because the pace of play is so pathetically slow. Buzz: The best in the game -- women and men -- performing like rock stars when it really counted. Buzz Kill: Most of those shots were preceded by five-minute bottle feedings from their caddies. Buzz: The joy of functional rain gear: The U.S. Solheim Cup rain suits were shower tested for 30 minutes. Buzz Kill: Europe had three separate "waterproofs." Buzz: Golf in Ireland. Buzz Kill: The course played (Killeen Castle) could have been in America. Buzz: The singing, chanting, rooting at a European-staged cup. Buzz Kill: A site where mittens and umbrellas are required doesn't allow the fans to really get into it. Buzz: Killeen Castle, possibly the coolest golf course backdrop anywhere besides St. Andrews. Buzz Kill: The actual castle is a shell. It was supposed to be a hotel, but the developers went bust. Buzz: The Solheim Cup develops its own history and traditions. Buzz Kill: Rumblings of an international component. No way! Keep any new event separate. Buzz: The phenomenal media buildup to the match. Buzz Kill: Scottish writers who recycle stories from 1994 about yours truly. I've heard the reason one person hates another is that he wants to be like you. Could that be true? Tweet

Davies overtakes Sorenstam for Solheim Cup record

DUNSANY, Ireland (AP) — Europe's Laura Davies overtook Annika Sorenstam to become the all-time Solheim Cup points scorer with 24½ at Killeen Castle on Saturday. Playing in her 12th Solheim Cup, Davies teamed up with Melissa Reid in the final fourball session to beat Americans Brittany Lang and Michelle Wie 4 and 3. "It's nice to finally get past Annika, who obviously has a spectacular record," Davies said. Davies has won 24½ points in 45 matches with 22 wins, 18 losses and five halved matches. Sorenstam won 24 points in 37 matches in eight Solheim Cups. "Obviously, the more you play in it, the more points you should have," said Davies, who has played in every Solheim Cup match. Juli Inkster is the highest points earner for the United States with 18. The win by Davies and Reid gave Europe an 8-5 lead over the U.S. before the Americans staged a dramatic rally to win the afternoon fourball session 3-1 and tie it 8-all ahead of Sunday's 12 singles matches. The U.S. traditionally dominates the individual matches and has won eight of the previous 11 singles sessions. "Well, we've messed up the singles so many times," Davies said. "This time we need to go out there and not worry."

Stricker not 100 percent about Presidents Cup

ATLANTA (AP) — Tiger Woods might need a new partner for the Presidents Cup. Steve Stricker, who went 4-0 with Woods as a partner two years ago, said Friday his left arm feels so weak he can't guarantee being fit enough to play the Presidents Cup on Nov. 17-20 in Australia. "There's no question I want to be there," Stricker said after scrambling to an even-par 70 at the Tour Championship. "I just want to get better. That's the frustrating thing. And I've got to look out for next year. I just feel beat up." Stricker has a herniated disk and a bone spur that he first detected a year ago December. His condition improved through exercise, and he went on to win twice this year on the PGA Tour. But the 44-year-old says his left arm has become progressively weaker, and he withdrew from the BMW Championship last week to get a cortisone shot. He has an MRI scheduled for Tuesday, which he hopes will show the extent of the injury and what he needs to do to get better. "I'm this close to saying, 'Let's do surgery' so I can feel good," he said. "I think this has been going on for a while." Stricker is the highest-ranked American golfer at No. 5 in the world, and he finished second in qualifying for the Presidents Cup. If he cannot play, U.S. captain Fred Couples would have a free pick. Couples already has pledged one of his two picks on Woods, and he was likely not to break up a partnership that delivered the first 4-0 mark ever in the Presidents Cup and the first such record in any cup competition in nearly 30 years. Stricker and Woods were so strong two years ago that Geoff Ogilvy said of the partnership, "One guy hits every fairway and makes every putt. And his partner is Tiger Woods." Stricker said he is at least optimistic since he has no pain. He just doesn't know why he has so little strength on his left side. It has kept him from a firm grip on the club, from getting through the ball and even keeping both hands on the club. He still managed to open with a 68-70 at East Lake, leaving him six shots out of the lead. But he is no less concerned. "One little flinch and I can't hang onto it," he said. "That's the part that's frustrating. It's felt rotten every morning. I start hitting balls on the range, and I feel I have no energy, no power on that left side. I struggled early today, and I got a little better. It's just that I felt tired all the way around. I don't have energy to hit shots with an all-out effort." Stricker said doctors last December, when he first discovered the problem, said he could treat the injury without surgery and it worked. But he stopped working out as much when summer arrived and he played more often, and he wonders if that's what led to the deteriorating strength. "I'm hoping that it's not a big deal, that maybe ... I don't know," he said. "I don't know that much about it. I'd love to go hit balls right now, but I feel that would be counterproductive. That's the frustrating part. I don't know how this is going to get better." He said if he was not at full strength in November, "I don't think it's fair to the team."

PGA champ Bradley takes lead in Tour Championship

ATLANTA (AP) — Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner atop the leaderboard in Atlanta should sound familiar. Only this was the FedEx Cup finale, not the final major of the year. And they were on East Lake, not 40 minutes up the road at Atlanta Athletic Club. Bradley, who won the PGA Championship last month in a playoff over Dufner, ran off four birdies on the back nine Thursday for a 6-under 64 to build a two-shot lead in the Tour Championship. Dufner was surprisingly crooked off the tee, yet still managed a 66 and was tied for second along with Chez Reavie and Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world and one of five players in prime position to win the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus. Bradley and Dufner will be in the last group Friday, and it was impossible to ignore the coincidence. "Yeah, I don't think there's any big surprise," Bradley said. "He likes this grass, too. He likes these courses, and I hope I get to play with him tomorrow. I think that would be a lot of fun." It would bring back great memories for Bradley, a 26-year-old rookie. Not so much for Dufner, who had a four-shot lead with three holes to play until he made three straight bogeys and wound up losing in a three-hole playoff. "Maybe he's having some of the same feelings - very comfortable on this type of golf course ... with the conditions maybe a little more severe at Atlanta Athletic Club off the tee," Dufner said. "But he's having a good day. Hopefully, we'll be paired tomorrow. That will be a little interesting, I guess. Maybe some thoughts here or there will come back and forth." The Tour Championship is more about memories, however. Along with this being the end of the FedEx Cup, there's another cup on Bradley's mind. He is not a lock to be a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup, despite having won twice this year, including a major. U.S. captain Fred Couples has said he would consider the Tour Championship as one last audition. Bradley could not have asked for a better start. He holed a bunker shot from across the green on his second hole to fire up the fans, most of whom now know his name. After a sloppy three-putt bogey on the eighth, he hammered a 3-wood from 281 yards that rolled past the hole at No. 9 and set up a two-putt birdie, then really put it together on the back nine. He had a pair of short birdie putts, along with a two-putt birdie on the 15th and was feeling the good vibes from a month ago. He is a long shot to win the FedEx Cup - especially with Donald playing well - but the Presidents Cup is right in front of him, and Bradley feels it. "The cliche is to say that I'm not thinking about it, but literally probably every third hole - or maybe even less - it pops into my mind," Bradley said. "I really want to be on the team, but I want to earn my way onto the team, just like I'm going to have to. If the captain and assistant captains think I've done enough to get on the team, they're going to pick me. "And if they don't, that's totally fair, too." The conditions at East Lake were relatively tame until the final hour, when sprinkles turned to rain and even halted play with the final two groups not finished. Donald returned to play the 18th in a driving rain, and did well to escape with par from the bunker on the par-3 closing hole. Charles Howell III, who appearance at East Lake guarantees another trip back to Georgia in April for the Masters in his hometown, was at 67 along with Adam Scott, Hunter Mahan, Jason Day and Matt Kuchar. The group at 68 included another batch of Presidents Cup hopefuls, from Aaron Baddeley on the International team to Bill Haas and Brandt Snedeker on the American side. Phil Mickelson also shot a 68 and is on Bradley's side - not because he wants him as a captain's pick, but because they appear to share an affinity for golf in Georgia. Mickelson has won the Tour Championship twice at East Lake, along with three Masters and three regular PGA Tour stops in the Atlanta area. Webb Simpson, No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, bogeyed the last hole for a 69. Of the top five players in the FedEx Cup - all of whom only need to win to collect the $10 million - Dustin Johnson (No. 2) was the only player not to break par. He shot 70. Luke Donald said he was thinking more about the silver FedEx Cup than the crystal Tour Championship trophy when he arrived at East Lake "because that's what everyone is talking about." He also got off to a good start, important to him because he opened with a 75 last week at Cog Hill and took himself out of the tournament. Donald still managed to finish fourth. "I wanted to get off to a faster start, put myself in better position, and I'm glad I did that," Donald said.

U.S. favorite to win 4th straight Solheim Cup

DUNSANY, Ireland (AP) — The Solheim Cup should be another rout for the Americans, according to the world rankings. While the United States has seven players ranked in the top 20 compared to one for Europe - second-ranked Suzann Pettersen - there is another statistic that could speak in the host's favor. The European players have won 12 tournaments this year, while the Americans only have three victories. That gives European captain Alison Nicholas hope that her team can prevent a fourth straight victory for the U.S. "We've got great strength in depth and it's a very strong European team," said Nicholas, who also captained Europe in its 2009 loss in Sugar Grove, Ill. "But I would never underestimate the Americans, because on paper in the world rankings, we are the underdogs slightly." The U.S. leads the biennial match play series 9-3, and won the last two events by four-point margins. But U.S. captain Rosie Jones expects a much closer contest when play gets under way at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Killeen Castle course on Friday. "We haven't come here looking at rankings on paper," Jones said. "We definitely know this is going to be a hard fight. Europe has probably one of the strongest teams they've had in a long time. We have a lot of respect for that. "I have a lot of respect for Ali, and how she can captain the team, and expect our players to fight very hard to get another win." And the Europeans are in better form. Eight members of the team have won tournaments this year, and four of the victories came on the LPGA Tour, where Norway's Pettersen has two titles and Germany's Sandra Gal and Sweden's Maria Hjorth have one each. Only two Americans have won a trophy this year. Brittany Lincicome has two wins on the LPGA Tour and Stacy Lewis captured her first major title at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April. Nicholas has five rookies on her team, but she is more experienced after learning valuable lessons during her captaincy two years ago. "The five rookies all have LPGA experience, and I think it helps that this is my second time as captain," Nicholas said. "I've got last time in the bank and there are a few small things that I can change. It was very close two years ago, we just didn't hole enough putts. If we can play the same this week and get a little bit of luck, then we can definitely win." Christina Kim earned the 10th and final automatic spot on the U.S. team, and Jones added youngsters Vicky Hurst and Ryann O'Toole. Cristie Kerr topped Solheim Cup point standings. Stacy Lewis was second, followed by Morgan Pressel, Angela Stanford, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Brittany Lincicome, Brittany Lang and Juli Inkster. Wie went 3-0-1 in her Solheim Cup debut in 2009, the best performance by any American that weekend. Nine of the 12 players that beat the Europeans 16-12 two years ago are in Ireland. Inkster, at 51, is the oldest member of the team and will serve as the first playing assistant captain. One of the keys to the Americans' recent dominance in the series has been their success in the singles matches. They won 8-4 when Pressel delivered the clinching point with her 3-and-2 victory over Anna Nordqvist. But England's Karen Stupples said the Europeans are better equipped to compete in that format this year. "I think traditionally in the past the top players ... have had a lot of pressure, because they know that their points are big," Stupples said. "But this year we're all playing fairly well. I think we have a better chance together as a team, so there's not that same kind of pressure. I think we're going to do just fine." The teams will play for 28 points over three days, with eight foursomes and fourballs on Friday and Saturday and 12 singles matches on Sunday.

Stricker gets cortisone shot, but missing power

ATLANTA (AP) — Steve Stricker is concerned about losing strength in his left arm, and it didn't help Tuesday at East Lake that he was hitting balls next to Bubba Watson. He watched Watson pound one drive so far that it hit the net on the back of the range on the fly. "If my neck didn't hurt, I could get that," Stricker said with a grin. Stricker withdrew from the BMW Championship last week after two rounds because of neck pain that affected his left arm and made it difficult to hold onto the club. He had a cortisone shot on Monday - his first one - and felt he was fine to play in the Tour Championship. The shot was between the C6 and C7 vertebrae, and he played nine holes in Wisconsin that afternoon. "I don't feel better yet," said Stricker, who was told it would take three to five days for him to feel a difference. "The crazy thing is there's no pain. My neck is a little stiff, that's all. But there's just a weak, heavy feeling in my left arm." He spent most of his time hitting drivers on the range, with his worst miss being a hard draw for not getting through on his left side. He hit four drives on the 10th tee, taking his hand off the club on one shot that sailed into the right rough. "I feel it here," he said, rubbing the back of his left shoulder. "I think it affects my move back to the ball." Stricker said he first realized something was wrong with his left arm last December when it collapsed while pulling back his bow while deer hunting. He thought he took care of it through exercise, and he won two more PGA Tour events this year. But he noticed his left arm getting weaker as the season went on. He has not finished in the top 10 in the six events since winning the John Deere Classic. "The doctors are moderately concerned this is back again," Stricker said. His plan is to have an MRI on Tuesday after the Tour Championship and "come up with a game plan from there." Still to come this year is the Presidents Cup on Nov. 17-20. Stricker also had planned to play a Fall Series event to stay sharp. PAYNE STEWART AWARD: David Toms was presented the Payne Stewart Award on Tuesday, in honor of the three-time major champion who died in a plane crash on his way to the Tour Championship in 1999. The award is for a player who shares Stewart's respect for golf tradition, commitment to charity and presentation of himself and the sport through his dress and conduct. Toms, whose 13 wins include the PGA Championship in 2001, has a foundation that works with at-risk children, and he is building a golf academy for less privileged kids. He also has raised more than $2 million through a charity golf tournament that raises money for children who have been abused or neglected. "Something like this is different," Toms said. "It's different than winning a tournament. It goes beyond that. And to be a part of this award is truly special." Toms said his only regret was not getting to play on a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team with Stewart, although he saw how much Stewart enjoyed life during the King Hassan tournament in Morocco. Toms said Stewart was in the locker room, wearing a strange hat and dancing to music in the presence of royalty. "He went on to win the tournament that week, and it made an impression on me what he was all about," Toms said. "I wish I would have got to play with him a lot longer. But just to be associated with the award with his name is a great honor." PLAYER OF THE YEAR: It's difficult enough to find a favorite for PGA Tour player of the year going into the Tour Championship. Keegan Bradley has two wins, including the PGA Championship. Luke Donald is No. 1 in the world. Steve Stricker, Nick Watney, Bubba Watson and Mark Wilson all are going for a third win at East Lake. "I think a win this week would sway a lot of people's minds," Donald said. Tougher still might be finding the player of the year on the European Tour, although its season still has nearly three months left. Thomas Bjorn has won two times. Rory McIlroy had a record-setting win at the U.S. Open, while Darren Clarke had a sentimental win at the British Open, his second win of the year. There's also Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and Donald, who has three European Tour wins and is atop the world ranking. "It's finding that balance between how important is winning that major compared to the consistency of a year," Donald said. "What does player of the year stand for? Does it stand for having that one great week in a major, which is extremely important? Of is it weighed by being very consistent week in and week out? "I don't know what everyone's thinking," he said. "It could a number of different ways." Perhaps the real measure is who gets put on the cover of the European Tour media guide for 2012. "I'm sure they'll just fill it up with the major trophies again," Donald said. BACK TO BERMUDA: The PGA Championship was at Atlanta Athletic Club last month, which should help freshen some memories. Without that tournament, some players at East Lake for the Tour Championship will have gone four months without playing out of Bermuda rough. Either way, the first three playoff events were played out of a far different grass in northern courses of Plainfield (Barclays), TPC Boston (Deutsche Bank) and the BMW Championship (Cog Hill). Nick Watney said the biggest adjustment is on getting a flyer out of the rough. "It's not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of how much," Watney said. "I hit a flyer nine times out of 10. So for me, it's about trying to play the correct amount of a flyer." He did OK the last time, winning a World Golf Championship at Doral. Dustin Johnson grew up in South Carolina and now lives in South Florida, so he's accustomed to this strain of golf. That doesn't make it any easier for him. "I've played it my whole life, but it's still hard to chip out of," Johnson said. "It's just tough to judge chipping." DIVOTS: Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis will represent the LPGA Tour in the Three-Tour Challenge, to be played Nov. 8 at the Rio Secco in Las Vegas. Teams from the PGA Tour and Champions Tour will be announced later. The PGA Tour (Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Boo Weekley) won last year. ... Ernie Els has decided to play the Frys.com Open in two weeks. Els has a sponsorship deal with SAP, whose founder and chairman, Hasso Plattner, owns Cordevalle. ... Matt Kuchar is the only player with a mathematical chance of capturing the $10 million FedEx Cup without winning a tournament all year. STAT OF THE WEEK: For the second straight year, only one major champion (Keegan Bradley) made it to the Tour Championship. FINAL WORD: "If you're not in the top 50 in the world golf ranking, this is the next best thing you can do." - Charles Howell III, on getting to the Tour Championship. That assures of him of playing three majors and one World Golf Championship event next year.

With Tiger already a pick, Couples is in a pickle

LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Fred Couples has a short list of candidates to be a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup, and he says he will use the Tour Championship as one last audition. One player who didn't make the U.S. team and won't be sweating it out his Tiger Woods. And he won't even be playing at East Lake. Couples made it clear three weeks ago that he would use one of his captain's picks on Woods, and he explained his logic Sunday night during a conference call after 10 players earned a spot on the U.S. team. "I just decided to let everyone know that they were really playing for one spot," he said. "I felt it was justified to my team, also, that anyone outside of the top 10, they were fighting for one spot." That's what made the final round of the BMW Championship so critical. Ultimately, the only thing that changed in the U.S. standings was the order in which they finished. Hunter Mahan, Jim Furyk and David Toms held the last three spots on the team. Those positions were up for grabs Sunday at Cog Hill, and only were settled when Brandt Snedeker had his worst round of the week (74) and Bill Haas imploded on the back nine and shot 42. "I knew if I played well, something good would happen," Haas said. "And I knew if I played bad, nothing would happen." Alas, all is not lost, even if it might look bleak. Couples said Snedeker, Haas and PGA champion Keegan Bradley are "the leaders in this three-ring circus" to be his other pick. He is to announce his selection Sept. 27, the Tuesday after the Tour Championship. The Presidents Cup will be played Nov. 17-20 at Royal Melbourne, the only course where the International team won, in 1998. "We still have another week, but that could easily change anyone's mind," Couples said. "I want these guys to know that the Tour Championship is still deciding my second pick." Most signs point toward Bradley, a 25-year-old PGA Tour rookie whose two wins this year include a major championship. The Presidents Cup list is based on PGA Tour earnings over the last two years, with double the value this season. Bradley had only one year to collect points, which is why his wins at the Byron Nelson Championship and PGA Championship were not enough to qualify on his own. Mahan believes Bradley is the only logical choice. He lobbied for him Friday, when Mahan appeared safe to make the team on his own, and even on Sunday when Mahan thought a poor finish might bump him out of the top 10. "I don't think anyone else is really an option," Mahan said. "Not over a guy who won twice, including a major. I think he's earned that right. What else do you want him to do? It's a money list over two years, and he only had one year. He won a major. I know what I would do. Everyone is talking about young guys, and he's done a pretty good job. I don't understand what the problem would be." Two years ago, Couples announced before the final qualifying event that he was going to pick Mahan, who at the time had only one PGA Tour win, none in the current year. Perhaps that is what led Mahan to suggest that Couples already has made up his mind. Couples didn't come across that way. "We all have our favorite guys, and you know, it comes down to this," he said. "Hunter Mahan, Jim Furyk and David Toms are eighth, ninth and 10th, and Snedeker, Haas and Rickie Fowler and Zach Johnson all have great shots. And obviously, Mark Wilson, if he were to win, he would have made the team." So the short list got a little longer. Wilson, a co-leader in Chicago after 36 holes until his 77-76 weekend, won twice early in the year. To win the Tour Championship would give him a PGA Tour-leading three wins and make him difficult to ignore. What hurts Johnson and Fowler is they did not qualify for the Tour Championship, losing an opportunity for one last audition. Haas is the son of Jay Haas, the assistant captain to Couples. He was poised to make the team - and bump out Furyk - until a double bogey on the 13th hole, which was compounded with a bogey on the par-5 15th from the middle of the fairway. "I'm sure the last nine holes, not only did he feel like the pressure of trying to win, but he knew that if he just hung in there and finished strong, he would have made the team and pushed out Jim Furyk," Couples said. "And that's added pressure." Couples already is being criticized in some corners for taking Woods, who hasn't won in two years and whose game is unpredictable after a year of injuries. To pick another player who hasn't won might lead to even sharper criticism, especially with what Bradley has done. Johnson and Haas have not won this year, and Fowler is yet to win since turning pro toward the end of 2009. Couples has heard a few complaints about Woods being on the team, and he has tuned them out. "I think Tiger ... has been the best player in the world for a dozen years. I think he's been a little injured," Couples said. "Is he playing great golf as of a month ago? Of course not. We're all pretty attuned people. We all realize that. But he had 2 1/2, three months to work on his game. I talked to him a lot. And I know he's working hard. I'm relying on him to have a good time and play well in Australia. I think he's a guy that does not like to not play well."

U.S. Presidents Cup team set except for final captain's pick

LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The BMW Championship was the final event to qualify for the Presidents Cup. Despite all the possibilities for the U.S. team, there was no change except in the order. David Toms went from No. 10 to No. 8 with his tie for 10th. The heartache belonged to Bill Haas, who was tied for third at the BMW going into the final round. He was poised to claim one of the 10 spots until he posted a 42 on the back nine and shot 78, when a score of 75 would have been just enough. "I knew if I played well, something good would happen," Haas said. "And I knew if I played bad, nothing would happen." It's the second straight year that Haas walked away from Cog Hill feeling empty. A year ago, he finished 31st in the FedEx Cup by a mere seven points. Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk nailed down the last two spots for the United States. The other seven who had locked up spots were Matt Kuchar, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Nick Watney, Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson. Nothing but the order changed for the International team, too. Its list is based on the world ranking. Ogilvy, who was narrowly No. 10, moved ahead of Ryo Ishikawa to No. 9. The other eight players are Jason Day, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, K.J. Choi, K.T. Kim, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els and Y.E. Yang. Captains Fred Couples and Greg Norman will make two picks after the Tour Championship. Couples already has said Tiger Woods will be one of his picks.

Nicklaus: Tiger can still win 18 or more majors

INCHEON, South Korea (AP) — Jack Nicklaus said Tiger Woods can still beat his record of 18 major championships - provided he can stay in control of his mental game. Nicklaus said Woods can achieve the feat "if he gets the five inches between his ears squared out." "I mean Tiger has a great work ethic, he's a great competitor, the most talented kid on the planet right now," Nicklaus told The Associated Press in an interview Friday. "He's not going to go away." The 35-year-old Woods has 14 major titles, but has not won any tournament since revelations of infidelities in 2009 led to the collapse of his marriage and a break from the sport. This season has been partly derailed by injuries, but Nicklaus also praised the decision by U.S. captain Fred Couples to include Woods in the 12-member Presidents Cup team that will take on non-European players in Australia in November. "How could you not pick him," Nicklaus said. "I mean he's Tiger Woods, he's the best player in the game. He may not be playing his best today, but he's still Tiger Woods." Nicklaus made the comments while in South Korea to attend a Champions Tour event played on a course he designed. He also said it is crucial for golf to stage a successful tournament at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to help the game grow internationally. "Golf is now an Olympic sport," Nicklaus said. "And we've got to keep it in the Olympics. We've got one shot in 2016." However, Nicklaus expressed concern about the slow progress in constructing the facilities for the event, but remained hopeful that he will be awarded the task of designing the course with former women's great Annika Sorenstam. Golf is returning to the Olympics as a sport for the first time since 1904, with the tournament held in the seaside region of Barra. A course needs to be built by 2015 for test events. "I've led my game and (Sorenstam) has led the women's game, and I think we both have the ability more so than anybody else to put something together that would fit what they need," he said. Others who have expressed interest in designing the course include Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman, who would team up with Lorena Ochoa. Nicklaus stressed that the Olympics will be the biggest golf event organized in Brazil, and officials must realize they're facing a tight deadline. "You've got to get ready for it, prepare for it. And to get people to understand the sense of urgency is very difficult," he said. "And the sense of urgency needs to be there, otherwise the success of an event is in jeopardy." Regarding the state of the game in the United States, Nicklaus said the economic slump has taken a harsh toll. "It's absolutely just murdered the game in the United States," he said. "Clubs are all having trouble, people don't have spendable income, too many people are out of work, we have all of the problems you have with a bad economy." Nicklaus said much needs to be done to help grow the sport in the U.S. That includes making it more attractive to youngsters, who in the age of video games tend to have shorter attention spans. "The game of golf takes a long time and that's part of the problem," he said, referring to the four or five hours needed to play. Nicklaus advocates making the game easier for young people at an early stage. Other sports allow children to play with modified equipment and rules, such as smaller balls and lower baskets. "Kids have gotta have some success, they have success early in these other sports, but they don't get this success early in golf," he said. Nicklaus' many course designs around the world are part of the legacy he's leaving to the sport. He added he's working on developing equipment to help make it easier for young people to play in public parks.

Fowler's game, unique look winning over young fans

LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Rickie Fowler is impossible to miss on the golf course. So, too, all these kids showing up at tournaments sporting his look. Just 22 years old and still looking for his first PGA Tour win, Fowler is well on his way to being golf's next big thing. Sure, Rory McIlroy and a few other members of the Kiddie Corps have beaten him to a major title. But it's the guy with the shaggy mop of hair, flat-billed hats and colorful - some might call them tacky - outfits who's all the rage. "It's the way he steps out of the box with his bright colors and a style all his own," said Brandon Janda, 18, who was at the BMW Championship on Thursday wearing Fowler's trademark flat-billed hat with the oversized Puma cat and orange-and-white checked shorts from Fowler's collection. "The game of golf is definitely changing - and in my mind, changing for the better." Like McIlroy, Australia's Jason Day and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa, Fowler is one of golf's rising stars. He earned PGA Tour rookie of the year honors last season after being in the top 10 seven times, including runner-up finishes at The Memorial and the Phoenix Open. The first rookie to make a U.S. Ryder Cup team, he birdied his last four holes to keep the Americans in the competition right down to the final match. But it's his personality that sets him apart. Fowler's first sport was motocross, and he hasn't lost any of that X-Games edge. Know any golfers who've used a motorbike as a golf club? Fowler has. He walks the course with the swagger of a much older player, but still relishes being a kid. At last year's PGA Championship, he and Bubba Watson spent their free time tooling around on scooters with the kids in the neighborhood where they were staying. He delights in turning golf's conventional style on its head. The British still aren't sure what to make of him after he showed up at St. Andrews last year in his Sunday best: hat, shirt, pants and shoes in a Day-Glo orange hue usually reserved for traffic cones. "That's the ultimate question: What is 'It?' Rickie has 'It,'" said Bob Philion, president of Cobra-Puma Golf. "For sure it's attitude and a sense of style. Perhaps it's the motocross background and the Southern California roots. It's just the way he puts things together. People dig it." The kids sure do. Though there weren't many youngsters at Cog Hill on Thursday, it being a school day and all, many of those who were bore distinct signs of Fowler's influence. Taylor Evans, who just turned 14, wore a black Fowler hat and jacket. His 11-year-old brother, Tristan, has been begging his parents for Fowler gear the past two months. Luke Kelly, 13, was decked out in Fowler gear from head almost all the way to his toes - Puma hat, jacket and pants - while his friend Landon Mundell had a black Fowler hat. When the security guard assigned to Fowler's group noted that Joe LaPorte had everything Fowler but the shoes, the 17-year-old suggested hopefully that the golfer could give him his. Bo Van Pelt's kids are such big fans his oldest son, Trace, dressed as Fowler for Halloween last year. Won a prize for the costume, too. "I just think it's that he's played well, he's a good person and he's got a different look," said Van Pelt, who befriended Fowler when the young golfer was at Oklahoma State. "It's kind of the perfect storm." It's not only little boys getting caught up in it, either. At the Masters, one little girl standing behind the 18th green proudly wore a Fowler hat and Puma shoes. "From last year to this year, there's been a big jump" in the fan base, said Joe Skovron, Fowler's longtime caddie. "I don't know if people are getting more familiar with him or if it was the Ryder Cup, but there's definitely been an increase." While Philion didn't give out numbers, he said Puma Golf has seen "significant" growth this year. "And it's substantial," he said. Puma has sold "thousands and thousands" of hats in markets near PGA tournament sites, and Philion said they've noticed a spike in sales whenever Fowler plays well. When Puma offered a limited edition of Fowler's all-orange shoe, the 500 pairs available sold out "instantly." "He moves the needle," Philion said. "That's obvious." And it couldn't come at a better time. Golf is driven by personalities, and no one captivates people like Tiger Woods. But his career has been derailed by personal problems and a series of injuries, and, as he nears his 36th birthday, there's no telling when - or if - he'll return to the form that made his appearance at any tournament a must-see event. Though Phil Mickelson is still wildly popular, golf needs someone else who can move the interest needle - and do it for an extended period of time. Adults may not share Fowler's fashion sense - he paired blueberry-colored pants with a lime-green shirt, cap and shoes Thursday - but they're already fans of the game. It's the under-20 generation that every sport is so desperate to reach, and Fowler delivers it. The clothes, the colors, the hair - kids look at Fowler and see themselves. "It is cool to have the following I do and to have an impact on some young fans," Fowler said. "I definitely want to be a good role model, someone that kids' parents allow them to look up to." Tony Mundell, for one, appreciates that. Though he's a Mickelson fan, Mundell made the trip from Brownsburg, Ind., with his son Landon and Landon's friend Luke in large part because the teenagers wanted to see Fowler. "I do think he's a good role model," the elder Mundell said. "Given what's happened with other athletes, I really appreciate that." --- Follow Nancy Armour at http://twitter.com/nrarmour

Mickelson struggles in opening round at Cog Hill

LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Phil Mickelson had the putter going Thursday. The rest of his game? Well, it was touch and go. Mickelson managed to get back to even par after a rough start in the BMW Championship, but an errant tee shot on 18 led to a bogey and a 1-over 72 for the breezy first round at Cog Hill. "Never really had it going great today," he said. Mickelson had a double bogey on the par-3 No. 2 and was 4 over through five, one day after he panned the Rees Jones-designed course. At least he had company; playing partners Gary Woodland and Bubba Watson each bogeyed No. 2 and were 3 over when the group reached No. 6. "We got it going there when we started to get some downwind holes like 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, there were some birdie holes there," Mickelson said. There were four birdies in there for Lefty, who had a look at a fifth consecutive red number but was just short on a long putt on the par-4 No. 13. Using a belly putter for the second straight tournament, he had just 24 putts in the first round - the lowest total in the field. "Fought back to get it to even par and thought I had turned it around, and then made one bad swing off the tee on 18," said Mickelson, who began the final hole with a drive that went out of bounds on the right side. Mickelson also got his usual warm greeting from the crowd in his first round since he was one of several top players to offer a harsh critique of Cog Hill on Wednesday. There was the typical array of "Go Phil" shouts from the fans following his group, and he said he didn't hear any negative words. Mickelson also said he would talk to Cog Hill owner Frank Jemsek if he called to ask him what he would do to improve the course. "I feel like the Jemsek family has meant a lot to golf and there's a lot of families that have meant a lot to the game," he said, "and I feel like as a player I would owe it to them to at least answer questions that they may have." --- STROUD'S RUN: Chris Stroud was packed and ready for Cog Hill before he nearly shot himself out of the FedEx Cup playoffs. He had to eagle No. 18 in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday just to make the top-70 cutoff for this week's tournament. So naturally he was quite pleased to be at the BMW Championship on Thursday. "It's nice to have a tee time in a golf tournament like this," the 29-year-old Stroud said. "This is my first tournament, there is a few guys I talked to this morning, it's the first tournament that I've played with no cut." Stroud started on No. 10 for his first tournament round at Cog Hill. He made the turn in 2 under, then had three bogeys in the first four holes on the front nine. He finished with five consecutive pars for a 72, and was already looking forward to his next tee time. "I feel like I did a pretty good job just to hang in there for 1 over," he said. "I got three more rounds. That's definitely a positive here. I'm just going to try to tighten it up a little bit more for the next three rounds." --- WILSON'S WAY: This 65 was special for Mark Wilson. Wilson played in front of a large group of family and friends in the first round of the BMW Championship and shot 6 under, good enough for a tie for second. The 36-year-old Wilson was born in Wisconsin but moved to Chicago in 2004, where owner Frank Jemsek let him practice at Cog Hill. Wilson counts the sprawling suburban track as one of his home courses. So Wilson was a little stung by some of the criticism of Cog Hill by his fellow pros this week. "The Jemsek family has done so much for public golf here in Chicago, and all my neighbors come out and play here, all these courses, and Cog Hill is the one that everybody knows around here in Chicago," Wilson said. "To have the pros maybe not like it, it doesn't hurt my feelings really, it's just that there's more to Cog Hill than just a one-week golf tournament for the pros." --- PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE: Geoff Ogilvy and Jim Furyk, two players on the bubble for making the Presidents Cup team, at least got off to a good start toward being at Royal Melbourne in November. Furyk, who is No. 9 in the U.S. standings by only about $44,000 over Brandt Snedeker at No. 11, opened with a 68. The top 10 players after the BMW Championship automatically qualify for the team. David Toms (No. 10) and Snedeker opened with a 71. It's a little more complicated for the International team, which relies on the world ranking. Ogilvy is No. 10 and probably needs only to finish in the top 25 to stay there. He opened with a 69. Robert Allenby is at No. 14 and opened with a 69, while Aaron Baddeley (No. 13) had a 71. Vijay Singh, who has played on every Presidents Cup team, is at No. 12 and shot 76.

The No. 1 Toy Titan: Robert A. Eckert

I sensed that I have the sort of personality to get hooked on golf, and that's what happened. I play every Saturday and Sunday. My game still needs work. Birdies are as memorable to me as double bogeys are to Rory McIlroy. Mattel actually produces some golf products. Barbie makes golf clubs, and Fisher-Price has a golf set. Those [ideas] didn't come from me, but I applaud getting youngsters interested in the sport. I tell folks to leave their work and cell phones in the office. To me, business is best done in the office, and golf is best done on the course. I play with business folks, but we tend to never talk business. We talk about families and friends and our lives. Looking back, I wish I had learned to play as a young person, because you never forget how to play. It's like riding a bike. Now I'm learning how to ride a bike at age 57, which is a challenge, but that makes it more fun. I'm even more passionate about it because I'm so incompetent. My mother taught me to be humble, and there is nothing more humbling than yanking a brand-new Titliest into the woods or putting a three-footer two feet past the hole.

Continental Europe out to end Vivendi losing run

PARIS (AP) — Continental Europe will seek to end the domination of Britain & Ireland when the teams square off this week in the Vivendi Seve Trophy. Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin says "it's time to win for Europe" and sees "no reason why (they) can't gain this trophy this year." Play starts with five fourball matches at Saint-Nom-la-Breteche on Thursday. Miguel Angel Jimenez will hit the first tee shot in honor of fellow Spanish golf legend Severiano Ballesteros, who died in May from complications related to a brain tumor. Ballesteros created the biennal contest to help Europeans get more match-play experience outside the Ryder Cup. Continental Europe won the inaugural contest in 2000 at Sunningdale in England before Britain and Ireland won it five straight times.

Belly putter not foolproof, but becoming a trend

LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Even more surprising than Phil Mickelson using a belly putter at the second stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs was a direct message that showed up during the weekend on Twitter. "I have a belly putter!" It came from Brad Faxon, who, when contacted Tuesday in South Korea for confirmation, had just been told by security that he and Jeff Sluman were not allowed to play cribbage in the hotel lobby because it was too close to the casino. "Can you believe that?" Faxon said. The ban on cribbage? Sure. A belly putter for the guy reputed to be among the best in golf with the short stick? Hard to believe. "I'm dead serious," Faxon said. Only a week earlier, he said the belly putter for most people was a "second, third, fourth or last resort" when all else had failed, and that some USGA officials, no doubt, were turning in their graves for not ruling against the concept of anchoring a putter to the body. Faxon then called Paul Vizanko at the Scotty Cameron Putting Studio in California and ordered one. Before anyone starts looking for dogs and cats to fall from the sky, Faxon said he won't be using the belly putter on the Champions Tour this week in South Korea or anywhere else in competition. He was simply curious. "I wanted to see what all the hype was about," Faxon said. The belly putter first gained attention when Paul Azinger used one in a seven-shot victory 11 years ago at the Sony Open in Hawaii. The hype to which Faxon refers began last month, when players won three straight PGA Tour events with long putters. Adam Scott, who in February switched to a long putter that he anchors to his chest, won the World Golf Championship at Firestone. A week later at the PGA Championship, Keegan Bradley (belly) became the first player to win a major using a longer putter. Webb Simpson (belly) won the following week in Greensboro, N.C., and then won again at the TPC Boston. Maybe it's more than a fad. "It's like the two-handed backhand in tennis," Faxon said. "Twenty years ago, it was not the norm. Now it's the better way to go. The belly putter and the long putter are going to trend that way. Young kids are not going to be afraid to switch." There have been ample anecdotes about an entire threesome using a long putter. Ian Poulter tweeted that of 10 guys on the practice green in Boston, eight had long putters. More telling are raw numbers. There were six players using longer putters in 2009 and 2010 at The Barclays, the opening playoff event for the top 125 players. This year, the number of long putters jumped to 20. One of them was Jim Furyk, who is having one of his worst years. Since getting a few pointers from Bradley - three weeks before Bradley won the PGA - he has put himself in position to advance to the Tour Championship. "Ten years ago, no one ever went to the belly putter unless they couldn't putt," Furyk said. "So I didn't really think of it as unfair. I thought of it as desperation, if that makes sense. For me, it was still desperation, but I've seen some guys that have gone to it where they are decent putters, but they think it's a better way." The debate is whether such putters should be banned because, some would argue, anchoring them to the belly or the chest eliminates the skill. The USGA has shown little interest in ruling against them, and some believe it's too late now. Azinger thinks the argument is hollow. "Everyone wants to act like it's foolproof," he said. "It's been around for 11 years. Now somebody does something and it blows up. You've still got to make putts under pressure to win. Ernie Els has jacked so many short putts with a belly putter, and I didn't hear anyone complaining about them." Azinger still doesn't know what made him try it at his home club in Florida toward the end of 1999. There was a longer putter that had been made for someone much shorter than him. For some reason, he stuck the end of the putter into his belly button. "I was making stuff all over the pro shop," Azinger said. He switched the putter head to one he liked. He changed the lie and angle. He moved the ball back in his stance and put more weight on his right leg to make him feel anchored. "I was instantly better," Azinger said. "Paul Runyan watched me putting in 2000 and said it was the best single-lever action putting stroke he'd ever seen. To this day, I don't know what that means. But when I grabbed that thing, I became a better putter. And I was back in the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup and in the top 20 in the world." Still, the belly and long putters raise one question: If it's so good, why isn't everyone using it? The PGA Tour's most reliable statistic for putting is called "strokes gained." The top 12 players on the list use a conventional putter. The more traditional statistic is average putts per round. None of the top 12 players on that list use a long putter, either. Steve Stricker is No. 1 in "strokes gained" and No. 3 in putts per round. So why isn't he using one? "I like how I putt. I like the conventional wisdom of the short putter. Is that saying it nicely?" Stricker said with a smile. He did try one at the TPC Boston to see what it was like. "It was a totally different feel," he said. "I'm used to following through with my hands." Just then, Padraig Harrington walked by and caught the tail end of Stricker's comments. "Don't tell me you're talking about a long putter," Harrington said. "The day Steve Stricker goes to a long putter, we're all in trouble." Aaron Baddeley is another great putter. He stared blankly when asked why he isn't using a belly putter, then understood the point of the question and said the same thing Stricker did. He then was asked another question. The day pigs fly is when who uses a belly putter? "Tiger Woods," he said. "And Brad Faxon."

Yani Tseng, Amy Yang share NW Arkansas lead

ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — Defending champion Yani Tseng shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday and Amy Yang had a 64 to share the second-round lead in the LPGA Tour's NW Arkansas Championship at 9 under. The top-ranked Tseng, the LPGA Championship and Women's British Open winner, leads the tour with four victories this season and has seven overall wins this year. "I think it's hard to not have pressure because, I mean, for sure I've got pressure tomorrow, defending champion and in the lead," Tseng said. "The kind of thing's going to be a little pressure, but I just want to enjoy that pressure. I know tomorrow, first couple holes going to be nervous. If I were not nervous, that would be a little weird, so I mean, I care." Taylor Leon (67) was a stroke back, and former Arkansas star Stacy Lewis (69) was 7 under along with U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Cristie Kerr (66), Inbee Park (65) and Jin Young Pak (68). "I was kind of frustrated," Lewis said. "I left a lot of putts out there. My speed was just a little off and my lines were a little off, but still it was a good enough round that it kept me in it for tomorrow." Michelle Wie missed the cut with rounds of 78 and 72. Tseng had six birdies and two bogeys on the Pinnacle Country Club course. She nearly aced the 160-yard 15th hole, hitting to 2 feet to set up a birdie. She played her back nine in 32. "I worked on my tempo on the back nine," Tseng said. "I got a little too fast with my tempo, but I just keep to myself, keep focused, and actually back nine I got really lucky. I had a good bounce on No. 8, good bounce on No. 4 or 5, and I have a great up and down on par 3, so those three shots were important." Yang is winless on the LPGA Tour. She eagled the par-5 seventh. "Everything was good today," Yang said. "I was hitting the ball solid and hitting the putts solid. You know, from tee to green, I was playing good. I'm really happy about my game."

U.S. trails Britain & Ireland at Walker Cup

ABERDEEN, Scotland (AP) — The United States got off to a slow start in the 43rd Walker Cup on Saturday, losing three of the first four matches against Britain & Ireland. Patrick Cantlay and Chris Williams got the only point for the U.S., winning 5 and 3 against Steve Brown and Stiggy Hodgson in their foursome at Royal Aberdeen. Despite the grey, damp conditions, large crowds came out for the opening contest as Tom Lewis and Michael Stewart beat Peter Uihlein and Harris English 2 and 1. Jack Senior and Andy Sullivan then defeated Russell Henley and Kelly Kraft by same score. Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar claimed the biggest victory of the session, 5 and 4 over Nathan Smith and Blayne Barber. The Irish pair were 2 up after three holes, then lost 4, 5 and 6 to pars to go one down, only to birdie 7 and 8 to get back in front. They won four holes in a row from the turn, and a half at the 14th was enough to win the match. Senior and Sullivan never trailed. They lost No. 10 when Senior drove out of bounds, but he made amends by holing a 30-footer for a winning birdie on the short 11th and Sullivan restored their three-hole lead with a 15-foot birdie on No. 12. Cantlay and Williams grabbed the lead with a winning par at the short third, then birdied four more to move to 5 up at the turn. The next four holes were halved, and Britain & Ireland got one back with a winning par at the 14th. But the U.S. got a par on No. 15 to secure the point.

Britain & Ireland take 7-5 lead at Walker Cup

ABERDEEN, Scotland (AP) — Britain & Ireland won four straight singles matches to hold off a comeback by the United States and take a 7-5 lead going into the final day of the Walker Cup. The hosts had taken a 3-1 lead after the morning foursomes in the contest between leading amateurs, but the Americans went ahead 4-3 when Peter Uihlein, Jordan Spieth and Harris English won the first three singles in the afternoon. After heavy rain, 17-year-old Rhys Pugh of Wales started the rally for the home team, with Steven Brown, James Byrne and Paul Cutler also adding wins. Top-ranked Patrick Cantlay earned the last point for the Americans, beating Michael Stewart. Sunday's final day includes four foursomes and 10 singles.

There is so much right with the Walker Cup, but the selection process has to go

The Walker Cup is coming up this weekend at Royal Aberdeen in Scotland, a classic and wild links course. For that, we have to thank the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club for taking this amateur event to great layouts — Merion, Royal County Down and Chicago Golf Club, to name a few — unlike the Ryder Cup, where the respective PGA organizations forsake the good of the competition in favor of sites where they can make the most money. That's why the Ryder Cup has been stuck with non-classics — the K Club, Celtic Manor, The Belfry, Valhalla and others. The Walker Cup remains about the competition, something that has gotten misplaced at times in the Ryder Cup. The beauty of this amateur competition is that it truly is a toss-up, even though the American side routed Great Britain & Ireland two years ago. The Americans are favored to win a fourth straight time, thanks to Peter Uihlein, the 2010 U.S. Amateur champ; three-time Mid-Amateur champ Nathan Smith; two-time Junior Am winner Jordan Spieth; Patrick Cantlay, the UCLA sophomore-to-be who made the cut in four pro events this summer and narrowly lost the U.S. Amateur to Kelly Kraft. The Americans also boast Russell Henley and Harris English, two players who won Nationwide Tour events this summer. That would seem to make the lineup lopsided in the Americans' favor, but it'll be links golf at Aberdeen. The weather could level the playing field dramatically, as could the format. As great as the Walker Cup is, the non-transparent selection process has come under scrutiny this year. There is no points system. The players are simply announced, even anointed, by an anonymous committee. At least one past American team captain told a team member that he wanted two specific players to fill his last two picks, and he didn't get them. Why not? And who's really in charge here? Not the team captain, obviously. Controversy hovered over both teams this year. Ireland's Alan Dunbar was named to the GB&I team instead of David Law, who has won two of the last three Scottish Amateurs. Law was 87th in the R&A's amateur rankings, while Dunbar was No. 208. On the U.S. side, NCAA champion John Peterson was surprisingly left off the team. In addition to winning the NCAA title, Peterson finished second to English in his Nationwide win, and he was the seventh-ranked amateur in the world. Who is there to point a finger at? No one. Just the governing bodies. I'd like to see the teams chosen with a points system or even by one of the current amateur ranking systems. That would help eliminate this kind of controversy and the scent of politics and backroom deals. Also, the Walker Cup has never caught the public's attention because, well, it's amateur golf. Another reason is that it's over and done before you know it started. While the Ryder Cup is contested over three days, the Walker Cup is a double-session Saturday and Sunday, that's all. The drama doesn't have time to build. A third day would make it more attractive, at least for television. But maybe it's better as pure golf. Another troubling thing about the Walker Cup is also troubling about the Ryder Cup. Why is so much of the world excluded from this competition? The GB&I team expanded to include all of Europe in the Ryder Cup, a formula that made the matches more competitive and more exciting. Maybe only the U.S. and GB&I were golf-worthy when Samuel Ryder began his matches, but now the game has gone global. It didn't make sense to keep Greg Norman of Australia out of the Ryder Cup any more than it made sense to keep Karrie Webb of Australia, Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and current women's world No. 1 Yani Tseng out of the Solheim Cup, the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup. A stunning number of good young players are from Italy, Germany, Sweden and Spain, but they aren't eligible for the Walker Cup. Golf is being added to the Olympics in order to expand the game's reach. The Walker Cup could start by reaching out to the rest of the European continent. Or is this an English-speaking competition only? Tweet

Dyson's 65 leads KLM Open hit by rain, vandals

HILVERSUM, Netherlands (AP) — England's Simon Dyson shot an opening round 5-under 65 Thursday to tie for the lead with Marcel Siem on a day marred by vandals and torrential rainfall. Play was delayed for 45 minutes after vandals dug up parts of four greens at the Hilversum Club. Heavy rain later soaked the course, forcing players off for more than three hours. Despite the delays, Dyson had an eagle at the 484-yard, par-5 12th and finished with five birdies and two bogeys. He won the event in 2006 and 2009 on the Kennemer course. Germany's Siem also had an eagle on the 12th and finished with four birdies and a bogey in his 65. Defending champion Martin Kaymer struggled to a 74. Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy were among 78 players not completing their first round because of darkness.

Acushnet chief says technology debate healthy

NORTON, Mass. (AP) — Acushnet chief Wally Uihlein believes the relationship between manufacturers and ruling bodies is "180 degrees improved" from where it was 20 years ago. That doesn't mean the two sides do not - nor should not - disagree on technology issues. "I really think we need to let the ruling bodies define the issues and the manufacturers, in the spirit of those ruled upon, need to continue to provide the tension, which ensures the dialogue is open and progressive," Uihlein said. He spoke last week at the Bay Club, where he introduced Acushnet's new ownership, a Korean consortium called Alexandria Holdings. The new Acushnet chairman is Gene Yoon, who said that all operations at Acushnet's headquarters of Fairhaven, Mass., will stay the same. The debate between tradition and technology has been around more than a century, and that is not likely to change. Uihlein said he can make an argument "for or against bifurcation" - different equipment rules for pros and amateurs - although that should not be an agenda that any manufacturer could promote. "We still have a commercial genesis to that thought process," he said. "We can't argue that we have the best interest in the game. We can make that argument, but the fact is we represent the commercial landscape. And so, it doesn't matter how noble our argument is. It's still going to be seen as to some degree commercially prejudiced." Uihlein said it's up to the R&A and the USGA to not only set the rules, but to assume greater responsibility in the game's future. "If not, who does?" he said. "There's always going to be that question of whose game is it, and who's responsible for its perpetuation and sustenance." PRESIDENTS CUP: Brandt Snedeker has made the biggest jump without winning in the FedEx Cup playoffs, going from No. 18 to No. 5 with a tie for third at The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship. He also has made a swift climb in the U.S. standings for the Presidents Cup, and now is only the equivalent of $28,016 behind David Toms at No. 10. There was some movement in Boston, but not enough to clarify everything. The top 10 players earn spots on the U.S. team before Fred Couples doles out his captain's pick (one already goes to Tiger Woods). Jim Furyk finished sixth, moving him up to No. 9 - but he is only $15,809 ahead of Toms, and $43,825 ahead of Snedeker (each dollar counts two points in the standings). Toms is $28,016 ahead of Snedeker - that's how much 44th place earns at the BMW Championship, which is the last qualifying event. Charles Howell III at No. 23 is as low as anyone on the list with a mathematical chance of qualifying. Rickie Fowler might have hurt his chances the most. He started the final round only three shots out of the lead, but closed with a 77 and tied for 52nd, leaving behind big points. He now is $700,287 behind the 10th spot and would have to finish alone in second or win at the BMW Championship to assure playing his way onto the team. BELLY BLUNDER: Brandt Jobe has been so frustrated with his putting over the last few months that he stopped having fun. It reached a point at the Deutsche Bank Championship that he decided to use a belly putter in the third round. This is nothing new for Jobe, who briefly used a belly putter some five years ago. But it had been so long that he didn't want to make a full commitment, so he kept two putters in the bag for the third round - his belly putter and the conventional model. "I've been hitting it real good and putting so bad that the last month hasn't been fun," Jobe said. "It was getting to the end of the year and I had nothing to lose, but I didn't want to shoot 80 if it didn't go well." With an extra putter, something had to give to stay at the 14-club limit, so he removed his 4-iron. Bad move. "I needed a 4-iron four times today," Jobe said, laughing at himself. He figured he would use his hybrid off a couple of tees, and he was counting on the tee at par-3 11th being a 3-iron. But the wind shifted and Jobe was stuck. He used 3-iron on the par-3 eight and went long, and 5-iron on the 11th and came up short. Even more comical was the belly putter, and his caddie's reaction. On the first three holes, Jobe missed a birdie putt from about 15 feet, a par putt from 6 feet and he three-putted his third hole. He drove the green at No. 4, and his caddie handed him the short putter. "I said, 'What are you doing? No, we're going to stick it out,'" Jobe said. "And we made eagle." WORLD CUP: The Presidents Cup could feature about 18 of the top 50 players in the world ranking on Nov. 17-20 in Melbourne. The World Cup is the following week in China, and it could have just as many. An event that seemed to be losing top players - particularly from America - is attracting one of its strongest fields. Six of the two-man teams have both players currently in the top 50 in the world, while Northern Ireland (Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell) and South Africa (Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen) have two major champions. The United States offers its strongest team in nearly 10 years by sending Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland. The defending champion from 2009 is Italy with Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, while England again puts up a strong tandem of Ian Poulter and Justin Rose. Then there's Denmark, with Anders Hansen and Thomas Bjorn both inside the top 30. Five players from Australia passed on the opportunity to play until Richard Green accepted a spot. Then again, the World Cup is the same week as the Australian PGA Championship, and comes right in the heart of the Australasian Tour schedule. DIVOTS: Starting in 2014, the British Open will move away from holding final local qualifying at links courses near where the Open is held that year. Instead, the four qualifiers will be held at four courses each year in three parts of England (Hillside, Woburn and Royal Cinque Ports) and Scotland (Glasgow-Gailes). The R&A said the change is to make it more convenient for players to qualify. ... Patrick Cantlay has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of the amateur summer season. He secured that spot with his runner-up finish in the U.S. Amateur. Cantlay had been No. 1 for the previous 13 weeks. Cantlay will receive his award this week at the Walker Cup in Scotland. ... The LPGA Tour has launched an official Korean version of its website that will feature live scoring, player information and enhanced blogs with special Korean content. The LPGA already has a website geared toward the Japanese audience. STAT OF THE WEEK: Ten players on the PGA Tour already have earned more than $2 million this year without winning a tournament. FINAL WORD: "The season is so condensed that it's a weird feeling. It's early September and it feels like October." - Brandt Jobe, competing in his first FedEx Cup playoffs.

PGA Tour Confidential: The Deutsche Bank Championship

Every week of the 2011 PGA Tour season, the editorial staff of the SI Golf Group will conduct an e-mail roundtable. Check in on Mondays for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors and join the conversation in the comments section below. BIG WEEK FOR THE BELLY Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : Greetings, fellow Confidentialists. Another interesting week in our global golf village. In Boston, Webb Simpson (and his long putter) wins again. In Ponte Vedra, the Tour players win again (with their new TV contract). On the Euro Tour, the Great Dane, Thomas Bjorn, wins again. But the news of the week really has to be long putters. Golf's original Independent Thinker, Mr. Phil Mickelson, went to the long wand in Boston, and the stigma against the broomstick is fading fast. What do we think, folks, about the belly putter? Is it good for the game? Will it someday become as commonplace as the 60-degree wedge? I, for one, can't stand it. I'll be buying one immediately. Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated : There was a point this weekend when I thought to myself, "I wonder if I should try a belly putter?" I guess that says it all. Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : I'm not buying that it's an advantage, but it certainly works. So does The Claw, as Chris DiMarco once proved. The guy who is selling an extension to turn any putter into a belly putter is a guy in the right place at the right time with the right product. I will be writing about him shortly. Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : It's a bad look but ultimately not that big of a deal. It's legal and available to everyone. Time to stop kvetching and get used to it because at this rate half the Tour will be using one next year. Ryan Reiterman, senior producer, Golf.com : I hate it. But if my livelihood depended on making five-footers, I would use everything under the rules of golf to make 'em. Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : I can't stand the belly putter. I think it should be abolished. Putting is a difficult skill, and the best putters always seemed to overcome those tingling fingers and hands we all feel over a short putt. The broomsticks and bellies fundamentally change what that all-important 14th club is supposed to do and be. David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com : So many guys are rock solid from tee to green, but we all know that tournaments are usually won or lost on the greens. With so little separating the guy who wins from the guy who comes in 30th, why wouldn't you try a belly or long putter? I'm only surprised that it has taken this long for a run of long-putter wins to happen. Stephanie Wei, contributor, SI Golf+ : This weekend I stuck a club in my belly and made some practice strokes. Now I understand what everyone means when they say you can't miss short putts. I'd consider trying one now, and I wouldn't have a few months ago. Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group : The long putter has been around for what, 30 years? It's here to stay. Look for a long-putter guru to make a killing showing us civilians how to use it. Wei : Was anyone really that surprised Phil turned to the belly putter this week? C'mon, you all had to have seen it coming! Herre : I didn't. Phil was, arguably, the best putter of his generation. A sea change. Van Sickle : Had Phil used a belly putter well at the British Open, he might have won it by four. Bamberger : It's asking a lot to think any of us are just going to put it in our bags and get some putting magic. It's a different thing, and as Jim says it requires instruction. It was only two years ago that Phil was loving what Dave Stockton was telling him, re-emphasizing the forward press. Now, with the belly, no forward press. It sounds much more scientific and logical. Do we think Phil will stay with it? It's hard to imagine him using it at Augusta, isn't it? Van Sickle : Yes, Phil will stay with it. He's never admitted to having some form of the yips, but based on his short putting in recent months, it's clear he's got some kind of glitch or flinch. That said, he can't afford to go to Augusta without the belly putter. No place has scarier three-footers than Augusta. Charlie Hanger, executive editor, Golf.com : Phil is always changing things around, but if it's working for him come April, I don't think he'd hesitate to bring it to the National. Herre : If Phil has consistent success with the thing, he'll stay with it. Augusta, with its fast undulating greens, will be the acid test for the belly boys. Conventional wisdom holds that the belly is great for shortish putts, not so much for big-breaking, longer feel putts. Dusek : People don't realize how often Phil changed traditional-length putters. He's used several different models this season, but it all comes down to commitment. For a while Phil was committed to Dave Pelz's methodology, then he drifted to Dave Stockton. If he is truly committed to the belly putter and gets some success with it in the coming weeks, then I think he'll stick with it for a while. Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Golf.com : There was a time when Phil would tee it up with two drivers in his bag — one for a draw, one for a fade. Maybe he'll be the first to use two putters in the same round — a standard stick for lags, and a belly for the short ones. Hack : Maybe one for the right-to-left breakers and one for the left-to-righters? Gorant : Phil seems to be endlessly tinkering: two drivers, five wedges, etc. I bet he switches back and forth a few times over the coming years. Van Sickle : Remember when Ernie Els was outraged after Trevor Immelman won using a long putter? Ernie is now a convert. A very interesting phenomenon. Wonder how many of us amateur hacks are actually going to pick up belly putters to try out? Gorant : Ernie still says it should be banned, but as long as it's not, he's going to use it. Wei : They won't be banned now. Golf's governing bodies missed the boat on that one. Plus, if it were such an advantage, why isn't everyone using one? Why was Keegan Bradley the first to win a major with a belly? Van Sickle : It's funny how things have changed. The club has gone from being perceived as a crutch to making players wonder if it's actually an advantage. Hanger : It can't really be as easy to use as it looks on TV, can it? Who among us has tried it, and what did you think? (Beyond the impracticality of packing them for trips.) Bamberger : I think they are difficult to use, but maybe I need more instruction. The pros can make anything look easy. I feel even MORE uncoordinated with it. Herre : I've tried it a few times with no success, but I'm not much of a putter with a conventional club. Van Sickle : I've always thought there's a pretty big learning curve to get good with a belly or a long putter. I use the claw grip, almost no learning curve there. But you've gotta do what you've gotta do. If you can't putt, you can't play golf. Shipnuck : Phil is close to Couples and maybe sees him as a cautionary tale, a guy whose all-around game is superb into his 50s but who kicked away countless wins with spotty short putting. If this extends Phil's run as a big-time player, then I'm OK with it. Cameron Morfit, senior writer, Golf Magazine : I watched Adam Scott's stroke with the belly, and he barely holds onto it at all with his right hand. He has two fingers barely on the club. One-putt Webb seems to have it figured out. Van Sickle : Not sure Adam Scott has it all figured out. This was his second bad finish in a FedEx Cup event. He was in contention at the Barclays, then shot 42 coming in and dropped out of the top 40. He also faded in Boston. Not necessarily due to putting but still a cautionary tale. Bamberger : This whole long putter discussion is another reminder that change in golf comes from the top. Pros made the 60-degree wedge acceptable, and the 7-wood and the massive driver, and now the long putter. For good or for bad, we take cues from them. Herre : Right, Michael. That's why most leading manufacturers of golf equipment are against bifurcation. Tell us what you think: Is the belly putter good for the game? Would you try one? Tweet

Thomas Bjorn of Denmark wins European Masters

CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland (AP) — Thomas Bjorn won back-to-back titles for the first time in his career, shooting a 9-under 62 Sunday to take the European Masters by four strokes. Bjorn made nine birdies and an eagle in a blistering final round to finish with a 20-under total of 264 to earn the $473,000 winner's prize. The victory came a week after the 40-year-old Dane won a five-man playoff in Gleneagles, Scotland, and is his third title of the year. Before 2011, he had not won two titles in one year on the European Tour since 1998. "It's been a remarkable week. Golf feels pretty easy at the moment but that's not always the case," Bjorn said. "Any time you go out and shoot 62 on Sunday you have got to be delighted." Germany's Martin Kaymer began his round at an even more furious pace, with two eagles on his first five holes followed by birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. But he finished his round with 10 straight pars for a 65. "If you are 6 under after eight holes you are always expecting more," said Kaymer, who was fighting a cold. "I was feeling sick and it was difficult but after that start I was fired up and wanted to win." U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot 68 to finish tied for third at 15 under with Jaco van Zyl of South Africa and overnight leader Jamie Donaldson of Wales. "Thomas is a very popular winner," said McIlroy, who felt "100 percent" three weeks after injuring his right wrist and arm at the PGA Championship. "I had a few missed opportunities out there but to shoot in the 60s for all four days is good." No. 5 Kaymer and No. 6 McIlroy hoped for victory here to help them climb in the rankings over two Americans immediately above them, Steve Stricker and Dustin Johnson, who were playing in Boston this weekend. Bjorn is set to move into the top 30 from 59th when new rankings are confirmed Monday. A non-playing vice captain for Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team last year, Bjorn also took the early lead in the qualification race to defend the trophy in the United States next year. "There's remarkable talent on display in European golf. We will take it one step at a time but if I can keep playing well and stay healthy, there's always a chance," said Bjorn, who played on winning teams in 1997 and 2002. McIlroy said Saturday that it was possible to shoot 62 and win the tournament - and Bjorn proved him right. Bjorn, who was 2 over early in Thursday's opening round, could even afford bogeys at the fourth and 12th holes Sunday. He followed up the first one by making four straight birdies, and added another at the 11th. After his second bogey he appeared to be in trouble again when his second shot at the par-5 14th landed in deep rough beyond the green-side lake. "Fourteen was a big break," said Bjorn, who found a decent lie and got down in two for a birdie. He then sank a 12-footer for eagle at the par-5 15th. Already clear of the field, Bjorn buried two more eight-foot putts at the closing par-4s to shoot the lowest score of the week in the thin, Alpine air. Kaymer was four off the lead overnight and started his charge early. He eagled the par-5 first and added another at the fifth, finally taming a par-4 he had described as "easy" all week. The 2010 PGA Champion then birdied the seventh and par-3 eighth to take the outright lead. But Kaymer's challenge stalled when the former top-ranked player failed to make a birdie after the turn. McIlroy birdied the first two holes to share the lead at 14 under, sinking a 25-footer at the second before his putter went cold. The Northern Irishman three-putted at the 339-yard fifth after driving beyond the pin and let mid-range chances slip at the seventh, ninth and 11th. "If I did convert those chances then it might be a different day," said McIlroy, who threatened with birdies at the back-to-back par-5s as Bjorn raced clear. Second-ranked Lee Westwood began the day trailing Donaldson by one stroke and birdied the first, but carded a 70 to finish 14 under, tied for sixth place. Before being presented with the trophy on the 18th green, Bjorn and a packed grandstand of spectators watched a tribute to the late Seve Ballesteros, for whom the course is named. "For my generation, he was everything to the game of golf," Bjorn said of the three-time winner here and his captain at the '97 Ryder Cup. "He was a true inspiration to everybody and a wonderful friend. I take a lot of pride in having known the man."

England's Gary Christian wins Mylan Classic

CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) — England's Gary Christian won the Nationwide Tour's Mylan Classic on Sunday, shoointg a 4-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over John Mallinger. The 40-year-old Christain earned $108,000 to jump from 27th to fourth on the money list with $230,040. The top 25 at the end of the season will earn 2012 PGA Tour cards. "I'm biting my lip a little bit and I might be struggling. I'm not usually at a loss for words, but this might be one of those rare occasions," Christian said. "It's like a dream come true." Christian, a former Auburn player, finished at 17-under 267 on the Southpointe course. "I think it was meant to be this week," said Christian, also the winner of the tour's 2009 Northeast Pennsylvania Classic. "Walking down the fairway today I was thinking it's just my time." Mallinger closed with a 68. Craig Bowden (66) and Scott Brown (67) tied for third at 15 under. India's Rahil Gangjee became the third player in Nationwide Tour history to make a hole-in-one on a par 4. He used a driver to ace the 316-yard 15th, and finished with a 70 to tie for 32nd at 6 under. "I was just trying to get it on the green, that was it. When it's a driveable hole, you think you can get it close and maybe make eagle, but a hole-in-one, nobody thinks about that," Gangjee said.

Rory McIlroy takes share of European Masters lead

CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland (AP) — Rory McIlroy shot a 2-under 69 Friday to share the lead after the second round of the European Masters. The U.S. Open winner, who had an eagle two and a double-bogey 7, is 8 under along with Englishmen Gary Boyd, Simon Dyson and Jamie Donaldson of Wales. McIlroy missed a 4-foot putt for birdie at the 18th. "I really wanted to make that to get into the lead on my own," the Northern Irishman said. "All in all, I'm tied for the lead and it's not a bad position to be in." Morning leader Nick Dougherty of England ended his 21-tournament streak of failing to make the cut, shooting 72 to finish 7 under. Dougherty has not reached weekend play since the Singapore Open in November 2010. Joining Dougherty one stroke behind the leaders were Martin Kaymer of Germany, Jaco van Zyl of South Africa, Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay and Danny Willett of England. World No. 5 Kaymer and sixth-ranked McIlroy can climb to third with victory here. Second-ranked Lee Westwood also shot 69 and is two shots back on 6 under with nine other players. Starting his round after lunch, McIlroy hit possibly the day's best shot when driving to the pin at the 339-yard fifth, fading right over trees to bypass the dog-leg fairway. He sank the 2-footer for an eagle he described as "pretty special," but gave back both shots on the 629-yard ninth. McIlroy pushed his second shot right onto the 10th fairway - drawing a bemused glance from Kaymer striding in the opposite direction - and eventually three-putted from 4 feet. "I was pretty frustrated heading into the back nine," McIlroy said, "but I played OK. There's been a lot of traffic on (the greens). You start becoming a little tentative." McIlroy steadied himself and only a birdie at the 15th interrupted his sequence of pars. Kaymer had his own double bogey at the par-3 16th, taking four shots from the green edge after his tee shot found a small hole. "Sixteen was a joke," said the 2010 U.S. PGA champion, who criticized the putting surfaces. "The greens have become really bad in the afternoon. There are a lot of other guys who got stuck at seven or eight under." Kaymer cheered up at the prospect of challenging McIlroy for the title and a higher ranking. "Maybe we can play with each other on Sunday for the victory - that would be fantastic," Kaymer, a former No. 1 said.

Dougherty shoots 63, McIlroy 2 back in Switzerland

CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland (AP) — Nick Dougherty shot an 8-under 63 Thursday to lead Rory McIlroy by two shots after the first round of the European Masters. The Englishman had eight birdies in a bogey-free round, while McIlroy had five birdies in his first eight holes. It's McIlroy's first tournament since injuring his right wrist three weeks ago. "It's totally fine," McIlroy said. "I'm able to hit all the shots I want to and not lose any distance." Martin Kaymer, Lee Sung and Gary Boyd also were two shots behind the leader. Kaymer had seven birdies and just one bogey. McIlroy showed no ill effects from the injury he sustained after hitting a tree root during the PGA Championship. He spent two weeks spent recuperating in the United States with his girlfriend, top-ranked tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. "It's a great way to start the week," said McIlroy, the U.S. Open winner who can rise to No. 3 in the rankings with a victory. "I'm sixth and I want to get higher." McIlroy's steady round took off with birdie putts of 3 feet and 20 feet at No. 2 and No. 3. His only blemish was a 5 at the fourth hole after hooking his tee shot into trees. But he recovered with a 12-footer on the next hole, then made a 14-foot, downhill putt for birdie at the sixth. Second-ranked Lee Westwood and British Open winner Darren Clarke were in a group of six players at 4 under. Westwood's adventurous round included two eagles and a double bogey. He missed short par-saving putts at each of the final two holes. Kaymer made a sensational a 40-foot putt for birdie at the short eighth hole, then finished with a birdie at No. 9. Dougherty has missed the cut at 21 straight events and has no earnings on the European Tour money list. "It's the first time I've manned up and had a go at it," he said. "I deserved every one of those eight under pars." The strong field reflects the popularity of the scenic course in the Swiss Alps. It's also the first tournament that counts toward qualifying for the European team to face the United States at the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Workers scramble to get course ready after hurricane

NORTON, Mass. (AP) — Kevin Chappell felt a deep sense of appreciation when he arrived at the TPC Boston for the second FedEx Cup playoff event. He is among 10 rookies on the PGA Tour who are still hopeful of getting to the Tour Championship for a shot at the $10 million prize. A tie for third at the U.S. Open assured him of his first trip to the Masters next year, and a return to the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club, a short drive from his hometown of Fresno, Calif. Only his feelings had nothing to do with his playoff performance, or anything else about his game. Hurricane Irene altered his travel plans, and he showed up at the Deutsche Bank Championship earlier than expected. It gave Chappell a chance to see what a tournament looks like before the show starts - especially a tournament that had to prepare for a hurricane. About a week before the tournament was to get under way, workers stripped 95 percent of the signage around the TPC Boston. The green mesh around bleachers and TV towers was removed, leaving a rudimentary appearance of steel poles and wood. Some of the corporate boxes and video boards were either taken down or were delayed going up. And on Monday, there was no power on the golf course. He registered in the clubhouse - in the dark. "It was like a ghost town around here," Chappell said. "It was a little bit humbling to see what goes into tournaments. We get worked up over missing a cut, and it's not the end of the world. You have people out here working their butts off to make sure we have a well-run golf tournament. "It's pretty special what we get to do." As he hit balls on the practice range, the sound of power drills could be heard in the distance as the blue-and-white Deutsche Bank signs were being replaced, scoreboards were being erected again. Carts zipped around the course to remove debris from limbs that had fallen in the 50 mph wind and rain on Sunday. Eric Baldwin, the tournament director, spent Sunday at home with his family - the pro-am featuring former Boston athletes two days away and players due to arrive. He said it takes about six weeks to get everything ready, with the final week for putting on the finishing touches. "We still had 25 to 30 tents that we never put up until the storm passed," Baldwin said. "We took down some of the wind screens. We removed 95 percent of the signage. And then we had no power. Our office went offline for two days so we had to set up a temporary office." The tournament doesn't start until Friday, which helped. Most of the 99 players in the field began showing up Wednesday for practice rounds. The TPC Boston looked like it always does - immaculate landscape, grandstands and scoreboards in place, the refrigerators in the locker room humming with electricity, stocked with every kind of drink. "They will have little to any sense that anything happened," Baldwin said. "That's a testament to all of the guys who do the hard work and never get credit." The pro-am is Thursday, followed by the opening round on Friday, when players will at least try to get into the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings and advance to the third playoff event in two weeks outside Chicago, one step closer to being in the top 30 at the Tour Championship. Chappell is at No. 74, putting him on the wrong side of the bubble. He achieved the first goal of his rookie season by securing his card next year, helped by a runner-up finish at the Texas Open. Then came the U.S. Open, and while never had a chance to win - no one did at Congressional except Rory McIlroy, who won by eight shots - Chappell closed with a 66 to tie for third. He started these FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 88 and went to The Barclays knowing he only had to make the cut to advance to the second round. It was an odd kind of pressure, for Chappell can't recall going into any tournament this year with such a modest goal. "There were probably a few tournaments - with where my game was - that I should have thought about making the cut," he said with a laugh. "But no. It would be hard if you're only goal was to make the cut. I'm on the bubble now, and I've got to jump from that No. 74 spot." Dustin Johnson won the playoff opener at The Barclays with a 65 in the final round of a 54-hole tournament that was cut short by the hurricane. With the points counting five times as much in the playoffs, he moved to No. 1 on the list, followed by Barclays runner-up Matt Kuchar. They left behind a course at Plainfield in which several fairways on the back nine had turned into miniature lakes after Irene came through New Jersey. Players and others don't see the work that goes into getting ready for a big PGA Tour event. No one is around to see the cleanup, either.