Kuchar and family make third trip Down Under

SYDNEY (AP) — American golfer Matt Kuchar's trips Down Under have been few and far between since making his professional debut at the 2000 Australian Open. Three years later, he returned for his honeymoon on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Kuchar is back for the Australian Open at The Lakes and next week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, and he's got company - his wife, Sybi, their two sons, Kuchar's parents and his in-laws. The family tour stopped in Bora Bora on the way over from the U.S. and spent a few days at the famed Cape Kidnappers course in New Zealand. Kuchar said "it's a great way to get back in the game, have a couple of weeks off, then a little bit of a warmup." Although Kuchar has earned $9 million over the past two years, he's winless this year. He's among a strong American contingent this week: eight of the 12 U.S. team members for the Presidents Cup are in the Australian Open field. Kuchar finished tied for second in the Memorial and was second in The Barclays. "It's been a bit frustrating," Kuchar said Wednesday. "I played a great final round at the Memorial, but Steve Stricker just played even better. I just had a few opportunities that didn't go my way." SCOTT'S SCOUTING MISSION: Adam Scott had five weeks off after the U.S. PGA Tour season ended, including a week surfing in Mexico with some friends from Australia. Before he played at the HSBC Champions event last week in Shanghai, he left his family's home in Queensland state to make a reconnaissance mission to Royal Melbourne, site of next week's Presidents Cup. "I felt the changes that had been made to the grasses at Royal Melbourne - it had been six years since I'd played there - that it would be a good idea to have a sneak peek," Scott said. "It will be hard to take it all in next week with all the distractions." The Royal Melbourne composite course will feature new grass on the greens. "It's a different grass to when I was last there - it's still couch, but it's a bit slower," said Scott, who tried not to "step on too many members' toes" as he negotiated around the composite course on a Sunday. STAR ATTRACTIONS: The Australian Open, with next week's Presidents Cup as the drawing card, has its best international field in decades, harkening back to the days when Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer traveled Down Under for the championship. The featured groups over the first two days help highlight it - four consecutive morning threesomes have defending champion Geoff Ogilvy and Americans Bill Haas and Bubba Watson, followed by International captain Greg Norman, Dustin Johnson and two-time former champion Aaron Baddeley. U.S. captain Fred Couples is in the following group, followed by another which includes U.S. team member David Toms. In the afternoon, Matt Kuchar and Adam Scott, who could play each other in next week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, lead the featured groups off at midday, followed by the trio of Tiger Woods, Jason Day and Robert Allenby. Stuart Appleby and American Nick Watney are in the next group, followed by one which includes Hunter Mahan and John Daly. It will be the 23-year-old Day's first time playing in a group with the 35-year-old Woods, but there's plenty of history from Day's side. "I read a book about Tiger and that is why I woke up every morning at 5.30 and went out and practiced," Day said. "I got up to 32 1/2 hours a week of practice because of that guy. He has influenced my life a lot, and I have always wanted to play against him." Day says he'll try not to be intimidated. "No, I don't think so," he said "I can't control what he does. All I can do is control what I do. Looking back, 1997 to 2008 or 2009, he dominated for so long. When he came in he changed the way everyone looked at golf." Scott has some advice for his younger Presidents Cup teammate - don't look. "I never watched him hit a shot," Scott said Wednesday. "My old coach Butch Harmon told me early on when he was still working with him, if you played with him you should not watch him hit a shot because in the early 2000s he golf ball was launching far faster than anyone else. We all saw the magnificent highlight reels he's got. It was better not to watch and feel like you can't match it."

Finchem has eye on Asia, South America, for 2015

SYDNEY (AP) — The only two continents where the Presidents Cup has not been played are Asia and South America, which is likely to change when the next one goes overseas in 2015. And while Asia appears to have more appeal, South America might be more critical. A record four Asian players are on this year's International team - K.J. Choi, Y.E. Yang, K.T. Kim and Ryo Ishikawa - and PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Asia is "becoming a bigger part of what the Presidents Cup is all about." "We are looking hard at Asia," he said. But when pressed about which Asian country might be best suited to host the Presidents Cup, Finchem had his eyes on another event - the Olympics in Brazil in 2016. "When you look at the Olympic date sitting there in '16, and everybody is gearing toward that, you've sort of got to draw some conclusions as to where we'll be in 2015," he said. Golf's return to the Olympics is not guaranteed to be for long. The sport gets only one chance to shine before the next International Olympic Committee vote on whether to keep golf in the games, so it's important that it is received well in Brazil. There had been some discussion about taking a World Golf Championship to South America ahead of the Olympics, such as the Cadillac Championship at Doral. "We've discussed that a little bit as a possibility," Finchem said. "There are some other things we could do down there as well. We were hopeful we'll see some daylight here in terms of when the golf course will be ready so we know we'll have a place to play, and by '15. Once we know that's going to happen, then we can start to work on real options." Finchem said if the golf course - the architect is to be chosen in late December - is not ready before 2016, then the first event would be the Olympics. Ideally, it could be ready in time for another event. "We need it ready by '15, which means it needs to get going," he said. OVERLOOKED: Luke Donald has been No. 1 in the world since the end of May. He has won four times around the world, and he likely will be voted PGA Tour player of the year. Apparently, that's still not enough to get on Greg Norman's radar screen. Norman was asked Monday who he thought was the best player in the world regardless of the world ranking. "I'm going through three or four players right now. That's how tough it is," Norman said. "I don't think there is one guy out there like Tiger used to be out there, and that's again a testament of the validation of why I think the game of golf is so good right now." He mentioned Martin Kaymer, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Ryo Ishikawa. "I'm going down the list and I'm missing out on guys," Norman said before going on to mention the swing of PGA champion Keegan Bradley. "You go down this list and all of a sudden now I'm at 10 players." He never once mentioned the guy at the top - Donald. NO COMEBACK: The PGA Tour awards ballot are now in the mail, though they might be shorter than previous years. Tour officials have decided not to submit any candidates as comeback player of the year. The Players Advisory Council is responsible for suggesting names on the awards ballot. However, there's an exception with the comeback player nominees decided by PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and the four players on the tour policy board. "We just thought it originally was an award that focused on a player who had an unusual injury, an injury that was career-threatening and he comes back from it," Finchem said in Shanghai. "And that morphed into having three or four players on the ballot that had some minor situations occur. We were asking players to decide who should be the bigger comeback." Finchem said a few years ago, the PAC and the policy board decided to leave the award up to him and his staff. It will be the second time in three years there is no comeback player of the year. Stuart Appleby won the award a year ago, and the thought was he'd came back from poor play. Steve Stricker won the comeback award two years in a row. WORLD-CLASS WINNERS: Perhaps no other tournaments in the world offer better odds of getting a high-ranked winner than the World Golf Championships. They usually invited the top 50 players, although three of them also have lesser-known players from other tours. Even so, Martin Kaymer strengthened the trend by winning the HSBC Champions. In the 13-year history of the series, only four players ranked outside the top 50 have won a World Golf Championship. Geoff Ogilvy was No. 53 when he won the Match Play in 2006 at La Costa. Kevin Sutherland was No. 65 when he won the 2002 Match Play at La Costa. Steve Stricker was No. 91 when he won the Match Play Championship in 2001 in Australia, the event where some two dozen top players stayed home. Craig Parry is the only player outside the top 100 to win a WGC, at No. 118 when he captured the 2002 NEC Invitational at Sahalee. MATCH PLAY CROWD: The Match Play Championship is trying to give fans a better view of the final match in Arizona by allowing fans to walk in the fairway behind the players. It's a practice often seen at the U.S. Amateur, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup matches. When Tiger Woods played the Australian Masters, officials allowed the overflow of fans to line the fairways some 75 yards from each green, creating a stadium feeling. At Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz., marshals will hold ropes that keep the fans 40 feet behind the players down the fairway, though they will be kept away from greenside bunkers. DIVOTS: The Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico, held opposite the Match Play Championship, has extended its title sponsorship through 2018. ... Mark Calcavecchia has his own special "cocktail" to deal with an ailing hip. He takes one Celebrex before he leaves his hotel room and one Vicodin on the practice range. That gets him through 15 holes, and he just toughs out the last three. "That's only on tournament days," he said. "Pro-ams and practice rounds I tough it out." ... With so much success by European players this year, the cover of its media guide will stick to the major champions. Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy and British Open champion Darren Clarke recently posed for a photo. Left out is Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world. STAT OF THE WEEK: Europeans will have held the No. 1 ranking for an entire season for the first time since Nick Faldo in 1993. Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald all have been at No. 1 in the world this year. FINAL WORD: "Maybe it's just I'm so used to hitting so many bad shots." - Tiger Woods, when asked about controlling his temper on the golf course.

Japan's Momoko Ueda wins Mizuno Classic

SHIMA, Japan (AP) — Japan's Momoko Ueda won the Mizuno Classic for the second time in five seasons, beating China's Shanshan Feng with a 15-foot birdie putt on the third hole of playoff. Ueda, also the 2007 winner in the event sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and Japan LPGA, closed with a 3-under 69 to match Feng at 16 under at Kintetsu Kashikojima. The victory, her first since the 2009 AXA Ladies Open, was her second on the LPGA Tour and ninth on the Japan LPGA. "I was starting to think I'd never win again," said Ueda, who earned her LPGA Tour card with her 2007 victory. "It's been a tough four years in America." The 25-year-old Ueda earned $180,000 in the $1.2 million event. Feng finished with a 65. "It was my first playoff ever in my life," Feng said. "The third time we played that hole, she made a good putt to win and I feel happy for her. This was her week." Ueda missed a chance to win in regulation when her 16-foot birdie try on the par-4 18th slid to the right of the hole. "When I missed that birdie putt, I thought I had lost my luck to win," Ueda said. "But my caddie told me to just enjoy this and to just finish it." On the first extra hole, Ueda missed a 5 foot birdie try to the left, while Feng two-putted from 20 feet for par. "I really thought she was going to make that putt," said the 22-year-old Feng, the LPGA Tour's first full-status member from China. "I thought, 'Good, she gave me another chance.'" They settled for pars on the second playoff hole, and Ueda won with her 15-footer on the third extra hole after Feng two-putted for par from 25 feet. Ueda got a big break in regulation on the par-4 ninth when her drive ricocheted off a fan's head and bounced back into the fairway, setting up a birdie. "The man told me he was OK and said, 'I just want to see you play. I don't have time to go to the hospital. Just do your best,'" Ueda said. South Korea's Na Yeon Choi had a 64 - the best round of the day - to finish a stroke out of the playoff. Scotland's Catriona Matthew (67) and Taiwan's Teresa (67) followed at 13 under, and Americans Stacy Lewis (65) and Mina Harigae (69) were another stroke back along with Japan's Sakura Yokomine (70). South Korea's Jiyai Shin, the 2010 winner, had a 66 to tie for ninth at 10 under.

PGA Tour happy with 2 events in Asia

SHANGHAI (AP) — The PGA Tour no longer is looking for new tournaments in Asia as it considers revamping the schedule so that a new season would start in the fall after the FedEx Cup is over. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Sunday that if players approve the idea of a fall start to the season, then it would be easy to give the HSBC Champions equal status as the other three World Golf Championships. That would include making prize money official. That would give the PGA Tour two Asia stops - the Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia and the HSBC Champions - which Finchem feels is adequate combined with the domestic tournaments. The earliest a fall start could happen is 2013, and Finchem said much of that depends on a player meeting in January at Torrey Pines and the next policy board meeting in March. "We have a combination set of changes in front of the players that would relate to restructuring the Nationwide Tour and maybe restarting the season in the fall," Finchem said. "If we go down that road, it makes it a lot easier. And that's the road I'd like to go down." Tour officials have been studying a concept that would merge top Nationwide Tour players with PGA Tour players who fail to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. They would play their own series of events to determine who gets tour cards for the following season, while qualifying school would offer Nationwide Tour cards. If that happens, a new season could start with what is now the Fall Series, and it would include Malaysia and Shanghai. Both tournaments would offer official money and FedEx Cup points toward the following year. "There are issues with it," Finchem said. "The players need to support us. We have some work to do, although I don't know of anyone who has huge problems with the specifics. But, change is change." HSBC is troubled that the PGA Tour does not consider it the same as the three WGC events in America. At the moment, the HSBC Champions only counts as official if a PGA Tour member wins, and even then it doesn't count toward a money list. Finchem said HSBC could still get full status even if the Nationwide idea is rejected. "We have options even if we don't go down that path with the structure of the tournament and what it means," Finchem said. "We've looked at official money in the past. It's just cleaner if we get everything done under the FedEx umbrella. Finchem's appearance in Shanghai two years ago raised speculation that he was looking to stake out an already crowded territory. Some referred to it as his "Asian invasion." Finchem was on an 18-day trip through China, South Korea and Japan. Now, however, he says two tournaments should be enough. Asked if he were actively looking for a new tournament in Asia, Finchem replied, "No." "But we're entertaining people who want to talk to us about it," he said. "Right now, we feel like we have a game plan that's a really good schedule. You never know, so you always want to know what's available." As for the Asia Pacific Classic, Finchem said the field likely would be expanded if it were an official event. Bo Van Pelt won two weeks ago against a 47-man field, with 35 of them on the PGA Tour. He said the field still would be small compared with other PGA Tour events because of the weather. "We're getting good support for the guys wanting to play, which is a factor," he said. "You need demand from the players, and that seems to be there."

Williams causes stir with racial inference to Woods

SHANGHAI (AP) — Already one of the most festive evenings in golf, the annual Caddies Awards roast was buzzing with talk that Tiger Woods' former caddie might be getting a prize. One award was called "Celebration of the Year." Everyone knew who would get it and why. The surprise was how Steve Williams ripped into his old boss with a racial slur that caused even more commotion involving the jilted caddie and golf's biggest name. "He's a character within the game of golf, and whatever bitterness that exists between him and Tiger should be in the past by now," said Graeme McDowell, one of several players at the party. "It's unfortunate that it's going to rear it's head again." Williams, still angered over getting fired by Woods this summer, was working for Adam Scott when he won the Bridgestone Invitational. That tournament also was the first time Woods played since splitting with his caddie. An emotionally charged Williams gave a TV interview on the 18th green and called it "the best win of my life," even though he had been on the bag for 13 majors with Woods. On Friday night, the host called Williams to the stage to collect his award and asked him to explain his enthusiasm. Williams, with a smirk on his face, leaned toward the microphone and said, "It was my aim to shove it right up that black a------." On a night filled with banter and off-color remarks, this one was a show-stopper. Heads turned, eyes widened and jaws dropped amid a mixture of shock and laughter. Williams later issued a statement apologizing to Woods. That was good enough for Scott, who said he had no plans to fire his caddie. "I think everything in that room last night was all in good spirits and for a bit of fun," Scott said after his third round Saturday at the HSBC Champions. "And I think it probably got taken out of that room in the wrong context." Even as players and caddies spilled into the bar, they couldn't stop talking about it - some because of the racial overtones, some because of how Williams so openly showed his disdain for Woods. The ground rules for the roast is that everything is off the record, yet this was bound to get out. A group of British reporters returning from a night out in Shanghai were at the hotel bar when at least one caddie told them what was said. Williams was stunned the next morning to learn that his comments had been published. "Why would they do that?" he said. "The whole thing was meant to be fun." He shook his head and walked away without wanting to say more. Hours later, Williams posted a comment on his website. "I apologize for comments I made last night at the Annual Caddy Awards dinner in Shanghai," it said. "Players and caddies look forward to this evening all year, and the spirit is always joking and fun. I now realize how my comments could be construed as racist. However, I assure you that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to Tiger and anyone else I've offended." Woods was in Australia, though it didn't take long for the comments to get back to him. "I was with Tiger last night when he heard the news," agent Mark Steinberg said. "We got multiple calls from people who sounded like they were leaving the caddie party. Tiger obviously wasn't there. He doesn't know exactly what was said. But if multiple reports - which all seem to be accurate - are true, then it's sad it's come down to this." "It's a regrettable comment, and there's really nothing that Tiger can do or say. He's just going to move on." Scott said he was satisfied with Williams' apology and that his comments were not reported in the right spirit of the evening. When asked if Williams should be fired, Scott said, "I disagree with that." "Look, anything with Tiger involved is a story," Scott said. "I value Steve's contribution to my game and having him on the bag. While he's caddying, I hope he can caddie for me." Scott said he did not talk to Williams about it after the awards party - both stayed to the end - or on the course Saturday morning. Asked about comments that Williams was racist, Scott replied, "I think we all know that's not the case." "Those things are not meant to go past that room," Scott said. "Obviously, somebody took it out and that's the way it goes. There's really no safe haven for what you say, and so you've got to be careful." Players who were at the party were careful to say nothing. Ian Poulter walked away when the topic arose. Lee Westwood resorted to his dry wit when he replied, "I've had an ear infection for two weeks and I couldn't hear a lot of what was going on, so it would be wrong for me to comment on anything." Beyond his choice of words was the deep resentment Williams expressed. "It's just unfortunate that there's been such an argument between a player and a caddie," U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy said. "I've heard that Stevie has apologized for his comments, and I think now that he's done that, everyone can just move on and put it behind them." Not so fast. Woods and Scott are supposed to be in the same group next week at the Australian Open, and the following week is the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, where there is the chance they could face each other. Scott feels stuck in the middle, so maybe it's appropriate that he has a home in Switzerland. "I don't think it should be awkward for me," Scott said. "I'm the guy stuck in the middle, but I don't really have a gripe with either guy. So it's for them to sort out between themselves." Some felt that Williams should have lost his job three years ago when he used a disparaging comment about Mickelson during a dinner in New Zealand. Woods had him apologize to Mickelson. McDowell was among several players who did not believe Williams was being racist with his comments, particularly in a night filled with slapstick humor. "He takes one word out of that sentence, and nothing gets said about it," McDowell said. "These are racially sensitive times, especially in sport." Last month, English soccer star John Terry allegedly made racial comments toward an opponent in Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League. McDowell called the situation with Williams "very sticky." "I kind of feel bad for him in many ways because it was a very humorous evening," he said. "And it's unfortunate that it's come out as negatively as it did."

A long year for McIlroy, a sprint to the finish

SHANGHAI (AP) — The smattering of conversations suddenly gave way to the constant shutters of cameras Wednesday night at Le Meridien hotel, and there was no mistaking who was causing all the commotion. U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy could barely make his way across the room without being stopped. He stood tall as he posed with a Chinese businessman, and stooped over for another picture with a young girl, smiles everywhere. At his side was Caroline Wozniacki, the No. 1 player in women's tennis and the girlfriend of golf's newest star. McIlroy wasn't bothered by all the attention. As he said earlier Wednesday before a room packed with reporters at the HSBC Champions, it comes with his expanding territory. Only now, the fuss is for more than just his golf. It already has been a long year for McIlroy, who now embarks on a sprint to the finish when he tees off Thursday in the final World Golf Championship of the year. On the course, he went from a Sunday meltdown at the Masters to blow a four-shot lead to an overwhelming performance in the U.S. Open at Congressional, where he went wire-to-wire to win his first major and shattered the scoring record in an eight-shot win. Off the course, he is part of sport's new power couple - "WozIlroy" - and then really caused a sensation when he chose to leave longtime agent Chubby Chandler of International Sports Management to join Horizon Sports Management, a Dublin agency that represents good friend and fellow U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell. "It's been an interesting year," McIlroy said. "A lot has happened. There's been incredible highs and the one very disappointing low. But I think that disappointing low was needed to experience the incredible high of Congressional. So it's been a great year. When I get a chance to reflect on it over Christmas and the new year, it's been a fantastic year and I wouldn't take it back." The reflection can wait. McIlroy won't get into specifics over why he left Chandler, only that he wants to concentrate on winning tournaments. Chandler raised the notion that Wozniacki had become a big influence on him, while Lee Westwood tweeted that the move was "bizarre." In his first tournament since the split, McIlroy opened with a 64 against a world-class field last week in the unofficial Shanghai Masters, then beat Anthony Kim in a playoff to win $2 million, the richest payoff of any tournament in the world. He can only hope that serves as a springboard toward a spectacular finish. McIlroy is about $1.8 million behind Luke Donald on the European Tour money list going into the final month of the season. Donald, who won the PGA Tour money list by closing with a 64 to win Disney two weeks ago, was unable to play the HSBC Champions because his wife is expecting their second child. Winning at Sheshan International comes with a $1.2 million check, which could make a big dent in the deficit as players make their way to the season-ending Dubai World Championship. "With him not being here this week ... I feel like I've got a chance to cut into the lead a little bit," McIlroy said after enduring a steady rain in the pro-am. "It would be fantastic to get another win, the second win in two weeks, and cut into that lead. But it's such a strong field here, and there's a lot of guys with a chance to win." Missing from the field is Tiger Woods, winless in two years and ineligible for the first time at a WGC. Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner of the HSBC Champions, chose to stay home with family before consecutive weeks in the Singapore Open and Presidents Cup. Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson aren't playing. Even so, the field remains strong with a heavy influence of European players and enough PGA Tour players - Nick Watney, Hunter Mahan, FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas and all four major champions - that there will be no shortage of challengers. And it's meaningful for plenty of these players, such as PGA champion Keegan Bradley. The HSBC Champions counts on the PGA Tour if one of its members wins, and that would give Bradley a tour-leading three wins this year, including a major. No one argues that Donald has had the best year - not Bradley, not even McIlroy - although the PGA Tour delayed sending out the awards ballots until after this week. "Luke Donald has had such a great year," Bradley said. "I think it would be difficult to beat him. But I definitely think a win would help." It's been a great year, and certainly a memorable one, for McIlroy. First came his collapse at Augusta National, where he shot 80 in the final round to blow a four-shot lead. That was followed by a flawless performance at the U.S. Open to capture his first major. He stumbled at the British Open, on the links and after his round when he complained about too much wind, and he had a jarring moment at the PGA Championship when he tried to hit a 7-iron through a tree root and injured his right arm. McIlroy recovered, and he has not finished worse than third since the PGA Championship. Meanwhile, his star power grows. He first noticed that a month after the U.S. Open, when he walked into a press conference at Royal St. George's and saw every seat occupied, with a dozen or so reporters lined up against the wall. "It was the first time I had really addressed the media after Congressional, and it was a bit of a shock to me, to be honest," McIlroy said. "I feel as if I'm learning to deal with it a little better, and it's quite an adjustment to make. But that's just part and parcel of what we do. And I'm very glad to be in this position, very glad that people are interested in me."

PGA champ Bradley opens with a 65

SHANGHAI (AP) — A dream year for PGA champion Keegan Bradley might not be over yet. Bradley relied on his power off the tee and enough key putts Thursday for a 7-under 65 in the HSBC Champions to open the final World Golf Championship with a two-shot lead. Bo Van Pelt, coming off a big win last week in Malaysia, twice ran off three straight birdies and joined the Swedish duo of Alex Noren and Fredrik Jacobson at 67. The group at 68 included K.J. Choi and David Toms. Defending champion Francesco Molinari was challenging the lead late in his round as a light rain began to fall, but a double bogey-bogey finish sent him to a 70. Rory McIlroy, with Caroline Wozniacki following him inside the ropes, made two late birdies to salvage a 70. What made the opening round at Sheshan International so rewarding for Bradley was the company he kept. He played alongside Lee Westwood and Adam Scott, each of whom had a 69. "Every week, I'm amazed at who I'm around," said Bradley, who only a year ago had just secured his PGA Tour card. "And to be in a group like that in this tournament, and to play like that on this course is very rewarding and it means a lot to me." The rewards might not be over yet. The PGA Tour delayed sending out its postseason awards ballots when it realized the HSBC Champions, which it does not treat equal to the other WGCs, still counts as an official victory if a tour member wins the title. A win by Bradley would be his third of the year - one of them a major, another a world championship - and it might be enough to merit strong consideration as player of the year, which is a vote by PGA Tour members. Luke Donald is considered a heavy favorite with two wins, the money title and Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average. Donald could not come to Shanghai because his wife is expecting their second child. Asked if his opening 65 might have made Donald nervous, Bradley laughed. "Maybe," he said. "You know, all I'm trying to do is win this golf tournament. I know there's a lot on the line, and there's some awards to be won. I'm sure Luke is not very interested in this tournament. I'm sure he's sleeping. But I hope to keep playing well and those fall where they fall." Bradley played bogey-free on a course that was still soft from relentless rain the day before, though it still had enough bite if players weren't careful. Graeme McDowell, coming off an embarrassing weekend in Spain in which he failed to break 80 on the weekend, had seven birdies in a round that was marred by a double bogey on the 17th. Italian teenager Matteo Manassero made only five pars in his round of 82. Tom Lewis, who won the Portugal Masters in his third event as a pro, opened with a 78. Bradley took advantage with one booming tee shot after another. He opened with a birdie after a wedge to 3 feet on No. 10 and drilled a hybrid 3-iron over the water to 20 feet on the 18th for an eagle. He had three birdies and an eagle on the par 5s, and kept bogeys off his card with a nice up-and-down from the bunker on No. 7 and a two-putt from some 60 feet on his final hole. Van Pelt got off to a sluggish start and then continued his amazing play in Asia. He won the Asia Pacific Championship last week by six shots, and is 28-under par in his five rounds during this two-week Asian excursion. Toms holed out for eagle on the par-4 16th, which is 288 yards and tempts the big hitters to reach the green. The best shot of the day might have belonged to Westwood, who hit 5-wood from 250 yards on the par-5 14th and saw it clear the water and hit the pin before settling a few feet away for an eagle. Westwood lost by one shot to Molinari in a great duel at Sheshan a year ago and knows his way around this place. McIlroy, meanwhile, is relying on his memories of a 63 two years ago to lift his spirits. Coming off a $2 million win last week across town at Lake Maleren, he three-putted for bogey on the opening hole and twice watched short birdie putts horseshoe around the cup. Following along was Wozniacki, his girlfriend and the No. 1 player in women's tennis, asking questions about a game she is just starting to learn. Without being here, Donald is a focal point in two respects. He still figures to get plenty of votes for PGA Tour player of the year, although Bradley could affect that. Donald also is trying to become the first player to win the money title on the PGA and European tours, and he has a $1.8 million lead in Europe over McIlroy. Despite opening with a 70, McIlroy was only five shots behind with three rounds ahead of him and was not at all discouraged. "It's a huge event anyway, but for me, it's a big event in the course of the season just because I feel like if I can play well this week, I can eat into Luke's lead a little bit," McIlroy said.

New Golf Books Index

Throughout the year, we'll be keeping you up to date on the golf books of 2011 — what's out, what's coming out, and what they're all about. Check below for 2010's books. 2011 NOVEMBER Golf Magazine: The Best Driving Instrution Book Ever Editor: David DeNunzio Publisher: Time Home Entertainment Next up on the tee, our friends in Time's hardcover division with another snazzily illustrated instructional full of nuts, bolts, tips, drills, theory, practice, and -- for good measure -- a bonus DVD loaded up with 16 ways to let the big dog dominate. Top 100 teachers like Mike Adams, P.J. Tomasi, Jim McLean, Jim Hardy, and Mike Bender advise on every aspect of whacking it long and keeping it straight, from mechanics and set-up to finding the right driver for unsheathing the titanic driver trapped inside us all. Golf Magazine: The Best Instruction Collection Ever: The Most Complete Guide To Improving Performance in the Three Most Critical Areas of Your Game Publisher: Time Home Entertainment Here's where it all comes together: a three-book instructional suite uniting our individual volumes on driving, short game, and putting into a single package. The gang's all here -- the Top 100 instructors and their insights, the unbefuddling prose, the full-color illustrations, and a trio of accompanying DVDS. Prime yourself now. Another season's just around the corner. OCTOBER Golf Courses: Great Britain and Ireland Authors: David Cannon Publisher: Rizzoli The tariff on Cannon's new stunner runs about the same as the freight for seven holes at Pebble ($195); "Courses" is a thrill-for-thrill exchange for even the seven on Carmel Bay -- plus you can take it home with you. Cannon's one of the two best course photographers on the planet, and his book's leviathan format -- with gatefolds extending beyond the leather to a full five feet -- shows off his moody, dreamy golfscapes gorgeously. Through his lens, even the usual suspects -- St. Andrews, Turnberry, Prestwick, Royal County Down, Brancaster -- come off in new light from unexpected angles. Granted, the volume's a luxury, but what journey through the game's trophy addresses isn't? Brassies, Mashies, & Bootleg Scotch: Growing Up on America's First Heroic Golf Course Author: Bill Fitzpatrick Publisher: University of Nebraska Press What "Brassies" lacks in length, it makes up for in charm, warmth, and the window it opens onto the National Golf Links and a bygone era of the game. The son of the course's Depression-era greenkeeper, Fitzpatrick worked on the crew and caddied for the swells, and his memoir recollects the old days -- the faces and the place -- less with nostalgia than with a boy's wonder three quarters of a century after the fact. His remembrance of C.B. Macdonald's visit -- by ambulance on his deathbed -- for one last whiff of the place he built is a genuine nugget. SEPTEMBER Unconscious Putting Authors: Dave Stockton with Matthew Rudy Publisher: Gotham Books Golf's simplest lessons are the ones that prove most effective and tend to stick. Maybe that's why the path to Dave Stockton's door has become well-worn. His philosopy is so uncluttered and clear, he's emerged as the go-to guy for the likes of Rory and Yani and Michelle and Phil. His secret, like his book, is short and sweet and resides primarily in lightening -- and enlightening -- the dark abyss between our ears. Stockton preaches the benefits of a forward press in the swing and an unconscious mind -- not the same thing as as an empty one -- over the ball. Putting, for Stockton, is about feeling, not thinking; once we've banished the paralyzing march of fixes, fears, and failures, a whole other opportunity presents itself: to just feel the stroke and get the ball rolling. The 3-Degree Putting Solution: The Comprehansive, Scientifically Proven Guide to Better Putting Authors: Michael Breed with John Steinbreder Publisher: Gotham Books The ebullient host of "The Golf Fix" and a regular contributor to Golf Magazine , Breed codifies and lobbies for a tactic that some of the game's best putters intuitively incorporated into their putting: delofting the club to eliminate backspin and produce a smoother roll. The methodology is uncomplicated, but ingraining it takes practice; Breed spawns a variety of drills to go with sound advice for reading greens, so only one negative remains: the angle at which the clubface collides with the golf ball. AUGUST The 40 Toughest Shots in Golf: A Pro's Guide To Better Shot Making and Lower Scoring Authors: Todd Sones with John Montelone Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing OK, raise your hands if you look forward to deep rough, fried eggs, uneven lies, hardpan and threading the needle through the trees. Didn't think so. Still, they're the sorts of predicaments we find ourselves in all too often. By effectively assembling a bagful of well-illustrated plans for escaping from dozens of these situations, Sones, a Top 100 Teacher, may not change your outlook about getting into trouble, but he'll certainly bolster your confidence — and technique — for getting out. The Scratch Golfer's Ultimate Trivia Book Author: Don Wade Publisher: Sterling With its hundreds and hundreds of multiple-choice teasers clumped into categories from Bobby Jones to Tools of the Trade, if "Trivia's" not the most mind-numbing golf book of the year, it may well be the most addictive. What other volume reveals that Mark Rolfing was Dan Quayle's college roommate, that Frank Connor and Ellsworth Vines were the only gents to have competed in U.S. Opens in both golf and tennis, and that the 1930 greens fee for hotel guests at Pebble Beach was — get the defibrillator ready — $1.50? And there's more where that came from. Lots more. JULY The Swinger: A Novel Authors: Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck Publisher: Simon & Schuster Consider the set-up: His real name is Herbert, but all call him Tree, and he's the greatest golfer in the history of the solar system. He's rich, he's famous, he's got a spectacular wife, adorable kids, and a yacht almost as big as his ... libido. You can guess the rest, right? Not so fast. With SI's own Bamberger and Shipnuck at the keyboards, the obvious isn't so obvious and it's ha-ha funnier than real life. Sure, the scandal's a hoot, the fall's titanic, and the players -- on and off the course -- identifiable without a scorecard, but this is still a novel, which means after the fall, there's even hope for redemption. Golf Course of Rhymes: Links Between Golf and Poetry Through the Ages Author: Leon S. White, Ph.D. Publisher: Golfiana Press Now for something completely different. White, a retired MIT professor, lets the big doggerel eat in an appealing collection that covers the fairways with reasonable rhymes from Poets Laureate (Britain's John Betjman and America's Billy Collins) to more familiarly versed in other genres, among them Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Grantland Rice, Ring Lardner, E.C. (as in Clerihew) Bentley, Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Chick Evans -- yes, that Chick Evans -- and the ubiqiutuos and always reliable Unknown. White seasons his mix with contributions from his own pen, and enjoyable commentary from end to end. Golf Fitness Author: Karen Palacios-Jansen and the editors of Golf Fitness Magazine Publisher: Taylor Trade There's not a swing tip in its pages, but "Fitness" can only improve your game -- and overall health. Filled with stretches, exercises, and full routines (including those of Masters champ Trevor Immelman and LPGA titleist Suzanne Peterson), "Fitness" extends itself to address nutrition, weight, pain and mental outlook. Gary Player pens the foreward. How fitting. Putter Perfection: The Groundbreaking Guide to Finding the Right Fit For Your Game Author: Sean Weir Publisher: Overspin Media So, which putter is hurting your game more, the one holding the stick or the flat stick itself? Weir contends the inanimate one is as organic to success on the greens as the one with DNA, and devotes just under 100 informative pages to what you need to know to assure that the putter and the putter holding it can coexist in peace and harmony. JUNE Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrickson Zaharias Author: Don Van Natta Jr. Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Like that other Babe, this one also casts a mighty shadow. Talented, audacious, and full of pizzazz, she was one of a kind, a tower of sporting achievement, and golf is forever fortunate she chose to embrace the game after mastering so many others. She didn't just promote golf, she barnstormed for it, making the cuts in several PGA events. Her presence alone jumpstarted the fledgeling LPGA, then her courageous return from colon cancer to win the 1954 Women's Open jumpstarted the national imagination. She was so Bunyonesque a character that it's easy to overlook the reality: like that other Babe, her life was just that, a life -- as fragile and flawed as it was fabulous. Van Natta rectifies the oversight. In his sweeping bio, her heart beats loudly on every page. Deane Beman: Golf's Driving Force Author: Adam Schupak Publisher: East Cottage Press In his 20 years as PGA commissioner, Beman's vision changed the face of tournament golf. He steered a collection of events into a juggernaut, built the charity base, lassoed sponsors, sowed the seeds of the Players Championship and the TPCs, shepherded the separation of the Tour from the PGA, fought insurrections, forged alliances, battled equipment makers, raised profiles, and made a lot of people a lot of money. Schupak's scrupulously researched chronicle does more than give Beman his overdue due; by telling Beman's story, he compellingly charts the behind-the-scenes maneuverings that transformed a not-so-simple game into billion-dollar enterprise. Let There Be Pebble: A Middle Handicapper's Year in America's Garden of Golf Author: Zachary Michael Jack Publisher: University of Nebraska Press Every golfer goes through some variation of the mid-life crisis. Not everyone gets to do it on the Monterrey Peninsula. Once the obvious envy is removed from the equation, what's left is an inviting escapade into discovering -- through a diverse cast from Michael Murphy and Clint Eastwood to the caddie corps and the author himself -- why Pebble and its high-rent environs are always so absorbing, especially in an Open season. MAY Four Days in July: Tom Watson, the 2009 Open Championship and a Tournament for the Ages Author: Jim Huber Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books The drama was heart-stoppingly rich in the moment, and remains heart-breakingly rich in retrospect. Watson. 59 years old. Turnberry. The Open. Huber, whose sterling commentaries grace CNN and TNT, carefully reconstructs the unforgettable week in a lively narrative filled with the recollections of those who lived it -- from participants like Watson, his caddie Neil Oxman, and eventual winner Stewart Cink to such interested and interesting parties as Nicklaus, Trevino, and Player. Huber's chronicle is elegant and detailed. It just doesn't change the ending. Championship Golf Courses of Great Britain and Ireland: The Essential Guide to 43 Major Courses Publisher: AA Publishing The British Automobile Association has always had a knack with drivers. In this lavishly illustrated tour guide fit for any golfer's coffee table, the venerable AA displays its mastery of several other parts of the game, not the least of which is inspiring golf dreams. The nearly four dozen included courses cover the waterfront, the parkland, and the heathland from Royals -- like St. George's, Dornoch, Porthcawl and County Down -- to the peerless: St. Andrews, Aberdovey, Ballybunion and Sunningdale. Each has its own pictorial spread and brief write-up. Even better, each arrives with 18 hole-by-hole drawings that amount to a set of tantalizing yardage books. Which should come as no surprise. If the AA can't map a journey, who can? The World Atlas of Golf: The Greatest Courses and How They Are Played Editor: Mark Rowlinson Publisher: Hamlyn When first published in 1976, the "Atlas," now in its sixth incarnation, was a revelation, an instant cornerstone to any golf library. Focusing on the course itself -- as a cunning piece of craftsmanship, not just a destination or a battlefield -- it was big. It was brash. It was smart. It was colorful. It still is, thankfully. It still covers every continent. It's still full of analysis, insight, history, architecture, and advice. And it still comes with its marvelous defining feature: detailed overhead drawings of each of the 80 included courses (though, alas, given satellite photography not every routing is hand painted anymore.) But the original arrived with a murders' row of wordsmiths behind it -- the cosmopolitan foursome of Herbert Warren Wind, Pat Ward-Thomas, Charles Price and Peter Thomson -- and time has sadly erased their contributions and replaced their presence with lesser pens. Mesmerizing and addictive as the "Atlas" remains, nothing can replace the backbone and style of its Founding Fathers. The Art of the Swing: Short Game Swing-Sequencing Secrets That Will Improve Your Total Game in 30 Days Author: Stan Utley with Matthew Rudy Publisher: Gotham Short game guru Utley uses his sequencing concepts to -- well, the book's subtitle tells the story. What it doesn't tell is this: "Art" is the first instructional to incorporate Smartphone TagReader technology. So, in addition to photographs interspersed through the text, tags are sprinkled throughout; point your iPhone or Blackberry and click, and a video appropriate to the point Utley's making magically appears. If only sorting out the swing were that easy. Golf List Mania!: The Most Authoritative and Opinionated Rankings of the Best and Worst in the Game Authors: Leonard Shapiro and Ed Sherman Publisher: Running Press Nicklaus's own list of his five favorite victories? Certainly authoritative. Shapiro on the 10 Greatest Golf Traditions and Sherman on the 11 Greatest Shots of All Time? Opinionated, to be sure. There's much to digest and argue with in "Mania," but, then, what else are lists for? Guest lists contributed by Ian-Baker Finch, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Dan Jenkins, and even Errie Ball, the last survivor of the original Masters, add to the entertainment. Driving Lessons: A Father, Son, and the Healing Power of Golf Author: Steve Friedman Publisher: Rodale You can always tell when Father's Day's on the horizon; squint and you'll see subtitles like this one's. Though Friedman's short, mid-life memoir of reconnection hits the requisite shots of the genre -- lives in flux, father-son loose ends, renewal on the links -- Friedman's a skilled enough writer not to let the conventions sink him. When he was growing up, golf stood between him and his father. In middle-age, he finally ask his father to teach him how to play. Instead of spooning out the treacle, Friedman lets his story resonate with a deprecating wit he directs at himself. Golfing With Dad: The Game's Greatest Players Reflect on Their Fathers and the Game They Love Author: David Barrett Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing You can always tell when Father's Day's on the horizon ... but why sound like a broken record? When a gaggle of tour pros -- from Arnie, Jack and Phil to Peter Jacobson, Christina Kim, and J.J. Henry -- look back on the moments they shared on course with their fathers, expect the expected, and for the most part, that's what "Dad" delivers. There are a few different strokes here and there -- like Brittany Lincicome's dad, a scratch player, sacrifices his own Jones for the game to foster his daughter's -- just not enough to cut the sugar high. Science and Golf: Proceedings of the First World Scientific Congress of Golf Editor: A.J. Cochran Publisher: Routledge In 1990, golf-savvy scientists from around the globe convened for a conference at -- where else? -- the University of St. Andrews to present their research to other golf-savvy scientists. With titles such as "The Analysis of Time Series Decomposition Techniques to the Analysis of Golf Performance" and "The Effect of Sand Type on Ball Impacts, Angle of Repose and Stability of Footing in Golf Bunkers," this collection may not find its way to the bedside table, but some of the presenters have become household names in the game: Gary Wiren, Bob Rotella, and Dave Pelz. Even a quick delve into Rotella's co-written "A Closer Look at the Mind in Golf" can find the seed of several best-sellers planted within.

Houston golf-related donations top $2 M this year

HOUSTON (AP) — The PGA Tour's Houston Open and the Houston Golf Association have generated $2,077,000 this year for city charities. Association officials announced the total on Tuesday. The Houston Golf Association has been funding youth-development programs since 1974. A total of $55.2 million has been donated to charities through the HGA - about $51.46 million since Shell Oil became the tournament's title sponsor in 1992. The money benefits about 200 charities in the Houston area. The HGA raised $2,145,000 in 2010. The Houston Open is the 10th oldest event on the tour schedule. Last year, Shell announced a 5-year extension of its tournament title agreement that will run through 2017.