World Golf

Kuchar and family make third trip Down Under

2011-11-09T15:12:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-08T15:18:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-07T15:15:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-06T15:10:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-05T16:21:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-04T16:14:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-03T16:14:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-02T16:12:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-01T16:12:00.001-07:00

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.

Bo Van Pelt leads Asia Pacific Classic

2011-10-31T16:29:00.001-07:00

SELANGOR, Malaysia (AP) Bo Van Pelt shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over fellow Indiana player Jeff Overton after the third round of the Asia Pacific Classic. Van Pelt, the winner of the PGA Tour's 2009 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, had a 16-under 197 total at The Mines in the second-year event sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Asian Tour. "I just love to play to compete," Van Pelt said "It's not about the money. That's what gets my juices flowing. Like my grandpa always told me, 'You can't take it with you.' "Obviously, any time you're near the lead with 18 to go, you're excited. That's why we practice and why we enter tournaments. That's all you can ask for, to have a chance to win on Sunday. It's exciting, and I'm looking forward to it. It's been a while since I won a golf tournament, so it would be great." Overton, tied for second-round lead with Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson after a course-record 62, had a 69. "It wasn't my day on the greens," Overton said "Didn't make anything." Overton noted the Hoosier connection at the top of the leaderboard. "It's crazy," Overton said. "We're from the same state, Indiana, and probably the only two players in the field or on tour from Indiana. To actually come all the way here, a 12-hour time change, halfway around the world to play golf with each other, it'll be fun." Jacobson (71) and Mark Wilson (67) were 13 under. Van Pelt bogeyed the opening two holes, but countered with birdies on Nos. 3 and 5. He also birdied the 12th and made three more on Nos. 15-17. "I didn't make a big deal after bogeying the opening two holes," the former Oklahoma State star said. "I told myself it wasn't the end of the world and just concentrated on playing my shots. "I think that's the biggest thing I've learned, experience-wise. As much as golf as I've played, in the times I've let a bad start lead to a bad round, it was probably when I made too big a deal out of it, got upset or got quicker (with my swing). I think today was just a good example of not making a big deal out of it and trying to hit good golf shots." Three-time major winner Vijay Singh followed his second-round 64 with a 66 to join Jason Dufner (65) and Malaysia's Danny Chia (6) at 11 under. "I guess the expectation is building up now," Chia said. "Every day when I begin my round, I don't really think about the result. I just want to play my golf. I only started looking at the leaderboard on the second last hole and told myself, 'Hey, I still got an outside chance.'" Defending champion Ben Crane was 8 under after a 68. The winner will receive $1.3 million from the $6.1 million purse.

Sergio Garcia wins Andalucia Masters by 1 shot

2011-10-30T16:26:00.001-07:00

SOTOGRANDE, Spain (AP) Sergio Garcia held off fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez to win the Andalucia Masters by one shot on Sunday for his second straight European Tour victory. Garcia shook off two early bogeys with two birdies on a flawless back nine to card an even 71 and finish with a 6-under total of 278 at the Valderrama course. "It's very, very special. Valderrama ... I have so much history here and unfortunately it wasn't as good as this until now," said Garcia, who had previously finished runner-up three times on the course. Jimenez seized the lead early when Garcia three-putted the sixth hole and bogeyed the next. The 47-year-old Jimenez dropped shots on the 13th and 15th before making a pair of birdies to press Garcia until the last hole. Jimenez had a chance at pulling even with a birdie on the 18th, but his 15-foot putt fell short and Garcia calmly made par. "On 18, we decided to play a little more conservatively and make sure we hit the fairway," Garcia told the European Tour website. "I've been in that situation three or four times on this course. It wasn't easy, but I believed in my ability. To be able to hit the chip I hit there and roll the putt in with the pressure, it was nice." Richie Ramsay of Scotland, who led for the first two rounds, finished two shots back in third, with Irish golfer Shane Lowry a further shot behind in fourth. The 31-year old Garcia won the Castello Masters by 11 strokes last weekend to end a nearly three-year title drought. "It's been two amazing weeks," said Garcia, who became the first Spaniard to win a stroke play event at the cork tree-lined Valderrama course. "I wasn't as good as probably the last 13 days, but we hung on and managed to pull through." Once ranked No. 2, Garcia had dropped outside the top 75 after near-misses at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie and 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills. His fifth European Tour win on his home soil will lift him back into the top 20. It also qualified him for next week's WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and moved him to the top of the European Ryder Cup points race. "Ryder Cup years are always special for me," he said. "So hopefully we can make that team."

McIlroy takes 3-stroke lead in Shanghai Masters

2011-10-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

SHANGHAI (AP) U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to increase his lead to three strokes after the third round of the Shanghai Masters. The 22-year-old star from Northern Ireland made seven birdies in another bogey-free round on Lake Malaren's Jack Nicklaus-designed Masters course to finish at 18-under 198. "Another good day on the course! Excited to have a chance to get another win this year!" McIlroy tweeted, adding the hashtag "itsbeentoolong." American Anthony Kim was second after a 65. He's coming off a third-place finish last week in the Asian Tour event in South Korea. South Korea's Noh Seung-yul was 14 under after a 67. Ian Poulter (67) and Hunter Mahan (68) were 11 under, second-ranked Lee Westwood (70) and Geoff Ogilvy (66) were another stroke back, and Robert Karlsson (72), Padraig Harrington (73) and Y.E. Yang (68) were 6 under. Louis Oosthuizen struggled in the windy, overcast conditions, shooting a 76 to finish at 4 under. The 2010 British Open champion had a double bogey on the par-5 13th and made four bogeys. The 30 players are vying for the $2 million first prize, the richest in golf. All the top players are getting appearance money, and last place pays $25,000. Because the International Management Group-run event isn't sanctioned by a major tour, it doesn't have world-ranking points. The World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions is next week at nearby Sheshan International.

McIlroy take 2-stroke lead in Shanghai Masters

2011-10-28T15:12:00.001-07:00

SHANGHAI (AP) U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to increase his lead to two strokes after the second round of the Shanghai Masters. After opening with a bogey-free 64, McIlroy struggled on the front nine, bogeying the fourth hole and dropping two strokes when he drove into the water on the par-4 ninth. The 22-year-old star from Northern Ireland recovered with four birdies on the back nine to finish at 11-under 133 on Lake Malaren's Jack Nicklaus-designed Masters course. "I liked the birdie on 18, and had a good back nine," McIlroy said. "To shoot four birdies kept me going after the double bogey." Noh Seung-yul was second after a 63. The 20-year-old South Korean player birdied three of the last four holes. He began the round tied for 18th after an opening 72. "I had hurt my ankle and not been able to practice too much and also not be able to swing as hard as I would like," Noh said. "I just decided to be careful with how I played. I putted well and chose good options, which obviously helped my score." The 30 players are vying for the $2 million first prize, the richest in golf. All the top players are getting appearance money, and last place pays $25,000. Because the International Management Group-run event isn't sanctioned by a major tour, it doesn't have world-ranking points. Louis Oosthuizen (66) and Anthony Kim (68) were 8 under, and Padraig Harrington (70) and Hunter Mahan (72) were another stroke back. Ian Poulter (71) and Robert Karlsson (69) were 6 under, and John Daly followed his opening 69 with a 70 to match Lee Westwood (70), Colin Montgomerie (69) and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (69) at 5 under. The World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions is next week at nearby Sheshan International.

Robert Allenby leads Asia Pacific Classic

2011-10-27T15:12:00.001-07:00

SELANGOR, Malaysia (AP) Australia's Robert Allenby shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas after the first round of the Asia Pacific Classic, the second-year event sanctioned by the PGA Tour and Asian Tour. Allenby birdied four of the first six holes and three of the last four in his bogey-free round at The Mines Resort and Golf Club. "I got away with a nice par on the 18th. I made lots of nice putts and hit the ball really well all day," Allenby said. "I had just one wayward tee shot at the last, but I made a good par to save at the last." Winless since the 2009 Australian Masters, Allenby was a captain's pick for the upcoming Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne - the 40-year-old Australian's home course. "I've been playing well for a while, but I just haven't really put the scores on the board," Allenby said. "I've been making a lot of birdies, but a few others have been slipping in there. So to have a bogey-free round and to shoot 8 under around here is a great score." He won his first pro title in Malaysia in the 1992 Perak Masters. Vegas birdied the final four holes. "I had a really good round and hit the ball well," said Vegas, the PGA Tour rookie who won the Bob Hope Classic in January. "I felt like I hit a lot of good putts as well. Hopefully, I can keep the momentum going for the next three days." Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson opened with a 65, and Americans Bo Van Pelt, Cameron Tringale and Jimmy Walker were another stroke back. "I hit a perfect bunker shot," said Jacobson, the Travelers Championship winner this summer for his first PGA Tour title. "That was a bit of a nice one to get. It was 25 yards, with the bunker a little left of the green. If I could have upped-and-downed it from there I would have been really happy." Mark Wilson, Stewart Cink, Jeff Overton, Scott Stallings and John Senden were four strokes back at 67. Defending champion Ben Crane shot a 69. The winner will receive $1.3 million from the $6.1 million purse.

A different ballot for the PGA Tour

2011-10-26T15:20:00.001-07:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) The PGA Tour was going to send its postseason awards ballot to the players on Tuesday until realizing the World Golf Championship in Shanghai counts as official if a PGA Tour member wins. So it will wait until after the HSBC Champions next week. On a slow news day, this became a controversy, and in some corners a conspiracy against Luke Donald. Now players will have only a month, instead of six weeks, to decide which box to check. They might need longer than that to find someone who had a better year than Donald. If what Donald did at Disney was that special - and it was - then it won't be forgotten. Would it not have been worse if the tour became aware of an oversight and chose to do nothing at all? Of course, this could have been avoided if the PGA Tour treated the HSBC Champions like the other three WGC events. It's still a "world" event, even though it's not held in global communities such as Marana, Ariz., and Akron, Ohio. Now that's a controversy. That also can wait. In the two weeks that players will be on pins and needles waiting for those PGA Tour ballots, here are some other awards worth mulling over. BEST MAJOR: It was the first time since 2003 that four players captured their first major, and all were compelling for reasons beyond that. Darren Clarke scores sentimental points, a popular champion whose best golf appeared to be behind him. Rory McIlroy represented the youth movement and smashed scoring records at the U.S. Open. The PGA Championship gets credit for being the only major to go overtime, but that only meant more TV commercials. There simply was no topping Charl Schwartzel at Augusta National. Eight players had a share of the lead at some point in the final round, and the South African became the first Masters champion to birdie the last four holes. So spectacular was the finish that it overshadowed his 60-foot chip for birdie on No. 1 and holing out from the fairway for eagle on No. 3. COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: This award typically goes to a player who returned from some sort of injury, or barring any candidates, a player who really stunk it up the year before. In this case, the vote is for McIlroy. The lasting image from the Masters is the 22-year-old burying his head in the crook of his arm when he finished four-putting the 12th hole from 12 feet on his way to blowing a four-shot lead with an 80 in the final round. Yes, he's young and resilient. But to bounce back two months later and win the U.S. Open by eight shots with a record score was remarkable. By the way, if Steve Stricker goes 5-0 at the Presidents Cup after sitting out nearly two months with a neck injury, does the PGA Tour put him back on the ballot? SHOT OF THE YEAR: The best shots come from the biggest moments, and it's hard to argue with Bill Haas splashing out of the water from left of the 17th hole in a playoff at East Lake to save par and stay in the hunt for the $10 million FedEx Cup, which he won. It was a great shot. It was a greater moment. And because of the water level, it was a great break. For a pure golf shot that not many saw? Go back to Honolulu at the start of the season, when Steve Marino needed an eagle on the last hole to tie for the lead. With his feet in the bunker and the ball chest-high on the side of a hill, Marino hit fairway metal from 234 yards that landed on the front of the green and stopped 40 feet away. He missed the putt. Another consideration would be Stricker, tied for the lead at the John Deere Classic on the 18th hole, his feet pressed against the back of the bunker, the ball below his feet and water between him and the green. From 182 yards, he hit 6-iron just through the green and made the putt to win. BIGGEST BREAKUP: In a peculiar year, this gets plenty of candidates. Start with Tiger Woods and Steve Williams, his caddie for 12 years and 13 majors. It started with Williams going to work for Adam Scott at the U.S. Open, featured a nasty departure a month later, and culminated with Williams' television interview at Firestone calling it the "best win I've ever had." And then there was McIlroy's abrupt departure from agent Chubby Chandler, a surprising turn of events after a summer filled with talk about the "Chubby Slam." The award, however, goes to Mark Steinberg and IMG. Steinberg for so many years was seen primarily as Woods' agent and known in some quarters as "Dr. No" for his propensity to rarely say "Yes." However, he also was the head of the powerful IMG golf division and a major player when it came to creating new tournaments around the world and finding a spot for them on the schedule. BEST PERFORMER: Donald wins under any definition. He turned in the best year, no matter what happens in Shanghai, with two wins, the most money and the lowest scoring average. If that's not enough, his top 10 finishes - 14 of 19 - was the highest rate this side of Woods. Under the circumstances, was there a better performance than his six straight birdies on the back nine at Disney? Still, his best performance came in the high desert of Arizona at the Match Play Championship. Donald never trailed in any of his six matches. Even more incredible, he never played the 18th hole except in a practice round.

Flash to the past: star golfers return Down Under

2011-10-25T15:21:00.001-07:00

COOLUM, Australia (AP) Not since the heady days of regular appearances by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer have so many top players decided to travel Down Under to play in three Australasian PGA tour events spread over six weeks. Credit the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in mid-November for having a large part to do with it. The challenge for Australian golf officials will be to find a way to entice stars like Tiger Woods, British Open champion Darren Clarke and top-ranked Luke Donald to return next year. The Australian Open at Sydney from Nov. 10-13, in particular, reaped the benefit of players who wanted to arrive a week ahead of the Nov. 17-20 Presidents Cup to get over jet lag and familiarize themselves with Australian conditions. Captain's pick Woods and his U.S. teammates Matt Kuchar, David Toms, Nick Watney and Hunter Mahan are among the Australian Open entries at The Lakes, along with U.S. captain Fred Couples, his International counterpart Greg Norman, defending champion and International team member Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott. "Our field is the best we've ever had," Stephen Pitt, chief executive officer of Golf Australia, which has direct responsibility for the Australian Open, told The Associated Press. "It's not so much all the great players, but the depth, and they're all in terrific form." Also scheduled to play at The Lakes are U.S. Presidents Cup teammates Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and U.S. Tour Championship winner Bill Haas and International team members Jason Day and captain's pick Robert Allenby of Australia. That's eight of 12 American team members and all five Australians in the International team, including two-time Australian Open champion Aaron Baddeley. The Australian PGA on the Hyatt Regency resort course at Coolum from Nov. 24-27, the week after the Presidents Cup, will feature Day, Watson, Y.E. Yang, Norman, Ogilvy and Scott, to be joined by Northern Irishman Clarke and American Rickie Fowler. Even the Australian Masters, which Woods won in 2009 and will be played Dec. 15-18 in Melbourne, has managed to attract a strong field despite its closeness to the holiday season. U.S. PGA Tour money title winner Donald, who won Sunday's Children's Miracle Network Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Italian teenager Matteo Manassero and Ian Poulter will be at Victoria Golf Club with defending Australian Masters champion Stuart Appleby. Only three of the top 10-ranked players won't make it Down Under - Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer, who play regularly on the European Tour, which still has five tournaments remaining this year. Phil Mickelson, a member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team, is playing in Singapore the week before the Royal Melbourne event, as is International team member Yang. The star power is a welcome sign - the Australasian Tour has been in decline over the past decade, losing several tournaments due to lack of sponsorship and watching prize money fall behind most events in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The Australian Open and Australian PGA each offer total prize money of $1.5 million this year, with the winner getting $270,000. Most U.S PGA tour events offer purses of at least of $5 million, with the winner often collecting a million dollars. Pitt says the influx of top golfers is an opportunity for the Australian tour to showcase its world-class courses and hospitality, regardless of the lack of prize money. "The bar is very clearly being raised for us, and the challenge will be to maintain some sort of growth to follow on from this year," Pitt said. "The feedback we get from players is that they've always wanted to play the Australian Open in particular, and that's recognition of the status of the tournament. Now we've got to tap into that, give the players a really good experience, and get them to come back." The biggest attraction of the past five years was Woods at the 2009 Australian Masters, which he won after being paid $3 million in appearance money, half of that paid by the Victoria state government. Weeks later, news of his infidelities surfaced, followed by a divorce, injuries and swing changes, leaving his win at Kingston Heath in Melbourne his last tour victory anywhere. He returned to Melbourne a year later to unsuccessfully defend his Masters title when it was played at the Victoria layout. Tim Clark of South Africa won the Australian Open in 2008, but the last non-Australian winner before that was Westwood in 1997. That's a big difference from Player's seven Australian Open titles beginning in 1958 and ending in 1974, Nicklaus' six, including four in the 1970s, and Norman's five, the first in 1980 and the last in 1996. Palmer won his only Australian Open title in 1966 while five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson has three of his native Open trophies. Even in 1966, the Australian Open offered a relatively small purse. When Palmer won at Royal Queensland in Brisbane, his first-place prize money of $1,600 was part of a $6,000 total purse. Nicklaus and Player won the Australian Open the previous two years, so the big three then apparently didn't come Down Under for the money. The Australian PGA has had mostly homegrown and two New Zealand winners since Seve Ballesteros won in 1981. The exceptions were Scotland's Andrew Coltart in 1994 and 1997 and England's David Howell in 1998. Peter Heiniger, the head professional at the Coolum course, says the PGA entry list will have its best international field since the days when Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam and other top players made their way from Europe to Australia. "There is no doubt about it, the profile will be greatly influenced by this summer of golf," Heiniger says. "I think the sponsors will want to jump on board over the next few months. Hopefully, this year will provide a bonus for the years to come."

Donald makes a clear case for player of the year

2011-10-24T15:16:00.001-07:00

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Luke Donald can only hope that shooting 30 on his last nine holes to win at Disney was the hard part. His sole reason for entering the final PGA Tour event of the year was to keep alive his bid to become the first player to win the money title on both sides of the Atlantic. The bonus of capturing the PGA Tour money title was that it surely would make him the frontrunner, if not the overwhelming favorite, as player of the year. Donald was better than everyone on the PGA Tour in two of the most relevant categories - money and scoring average. He and six others tied for most wins (two). Of that group, only Keegan Bradley won a major. More telling is that in 14 of his 19 tournaments, Donald finished in the top 10. That's a rate of 74 percent, a level of consistency matched only by Tiger Woods in the last 15 years. There's a reason he has been No. 1 in the world since May. And if that's not enough, Disney provided a rare head-to-head competition with Donald and Webb Simpson playing in the same group all four days. In a winner-take-all situation, Donald birdied six straight holes on the back nine to win. The ballots go out in two weeks, after the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, where the only person who could possibly cloud the decision is Bradley. Even though he has missed 10 cuts and only has four top 10s, he could attract votes with three wins, including a major and a World Golf Championship. Either way, picking the winner is not as easy as it should be. Remember, this is a vote of the players. Perhaps it's only a coincidence that as PGA Tour members start deliberating on player of the year, EA Sports announced the winners of a contest in which fans voted to determine who would join Woods on the cover of its next video game. The winners were Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy, two of the most popular young players in the game. The hope is that player voting doesn't turn into a popularity contest, too. A year ago, Fowler was chosen PGA Tour rookie of the year over McIlroy in a vote that made little sense. Fowler finished only four spots ahead of McIlroy in the money list (No. 22 to No. 26), but failed to win a tournament. McIlroy not only shot 62 on the last day to win at Quail Hollow, he finished third in two majors. Then again, the case could be made that Fowler was a true rookie devoted exclusively to the PGA Tour, while McIlroy was in his third full year as a pro and spent most of his time on the European Tour. Could something like that happen again? Robert Garrigus said he had made up his mind before the tournament even started last week. "I would vote for Webb," he said. "I mean, he's had such an unbelievable year. If you look at how many top 10s he's made (12), it's almost more than some guys have played in tournaments. What has he made, $6 million? That's Tiger money, and that's pretty special. "And not taking anything away from anything Luke has done, but it's pretty neat to see an American do that - finally." So much for looking at performance over passport on the PGA Tour. Then there was Scott Gutschewski, who played with Donald and Simpson in the final round at Disney and witnessed a performance that he described several times simply as "awesome." Does this clear up who wins player of the year? Gutschewski suddenly was at a loss for words. "Is he the best player in the world? Probably," he said almost begrudgingly. "Playing part-time on the PGA Tour, does he get the player of the year? It's a good argument. It's a tough call." Just because Donald is English does not make him a part-time player. The NCAA champion from Northwestern has been a regular in America since 1997. He has two homes, none in England - one is his primary residence outside Chicago, the other in south Florida. Donald has averaged 20.5 starts a year since his rookie season in 2002. Not even Woods plays that many. The rookie vote last year also took place after Europe won the Ryder Cup (again). Is that a factor? It shouldn't be, but with so much attention on the rise of world golf - particularly European golf - there has been a noticeable "us against them" mentality among some Americans. "Obviously when it comes to voting, there's going to be some leniency toward your friends," Donald said. "There's still more American players on the U.S. tour, and I'm sure Rickie has more followers and peers that follow him on the U.S. tour. Again, it's a vote, so it's totally subjective." Donald was asked if he could make a case for anyone else as player of the year, an awkward question in the immediate aftermath of the most gratifying win of his career. "Not sure I could at the moment," he said. "I think I've answered everyone's questions." No matter what happens in Shanghai, the lasting image when it comes to player of the year should be Disney. Except for two majors - Charl Schwartzel making birdie on his last four holes to win the Masters, McIlroy obliterating the scoring record at the U.S. Open to win by eight - Donald's final round at Disney might have been the best performance of the year. Forget for a moment that Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck presented him the bronze trophy. It's a rare occasion in golf when a player knows an opportunity might never come along again, and it's win or else. Think back to Woods in the 2001 Masters attempting to become the only player to hold all four professional majors. That's why Donald's win at Disney rates so high. A chance like this might not come along again, and he seized it in a manner expected of the No. 1 player in the world. It was the kind of performance only seen from Woods at the height of his game. Think of it this way. What if it had been Woods who, in the final tournament of the year that he had to win, shot 30 on the back nine? What if it had been Woods who had as many wins as anyone else, including a World Golf Championship? What if it had been Woods who won the money title and the Vardon Trophy and had 74 percent of his finishes in the top 10? Would there even be a discussion?

Leonard, Kim, Stenson tied at Disney

2011-10-23T15:18:00.001-07:00

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Justin Leonard described his round Friday at Disney as a "fun, easy day," and it was every bit of that. He had a 9-under 63 for his lowest round of the year, putting him in a tie for the lead with Henrik Stenson and Bio Kim at the Children's Miracle Network Classic. It was only after his round that he felt as though he was on Thunder Mountain without ever leaving the golf course. Leonard is at No. 144 on the PGA Tour money list and not the least bit worried about keeping his card because he already is exempt through 2012. Because of a misprint in the media guide, reporters didn't understand how he was exempt, leading to confusion - and a brief spell of panic for Leonard - while tour officials researched the regulations to confirm the answer. By the time he headed for the Magic Kingdom for the parade with his four children, all was well. The leaders were at 12-under 132, two shots clear of Nick O'Hern. Gary Woodland was in the group at 9-under 135. The money list is magic at Disney. Webb Simpson and Luke Donald are battling for the money title, and they both played the opening two rounds at 7-under 137, meaning they will be paired again Saturday. Simpson has a $363,029 lead, so the third round looms large for Donald. The stress is at the bottom. The players at Nos. 123, 124 and 125 - D.J. Trahan, Bobby Gates and James Driscoll - all made the cut. Kim is at No. 168 and will have to finish no worse than second to avoid Q-school. Stenson, who had a 64 on the Palm Course, is at No. 180 but is exempt through 2014 from winning The Players Championship. Leonard also has no concern about next year. "I did call the tour a couple months ago and asked about my status. I'm exempt for next year, so I'm not playing with that kind of pressure," Leonard said in his press conference. "I don't know how, I just am. I gave the same look to the telephone. 'How is this guy still exempt?'" It was a reasonable question, for his exempt status on his biography page showed him exempt through his position on the money list in 2010. In the exempt ranking at the front of the media guide, however, it shows him in the winner's category. The answer took time. Andy Pazder, the chief of operations, was out of the state on business and did not have immediate access to the records. It required an official at Ponte Vedra Beach headquarters to go through each year's regulations to provide the correct answer. That took time, and a tour official at Disney didn't want to keep Leonard waiting. He told him the staff was checking on it. "Are you going to eat?" media official Mark Stevens said to him. "I already ate," Leonard replied. "I think I'm going to go throw up." As it turned out, Leonard had the correct information all along. His British Open win in 1997 came with a 10-year exemption. Starting in 2003, the tour began adding to the 10-year exemption with every win. Leonard won five times after 2003, thus he is exempt through 2012. Leonard is not exempt for the Tournament of Champions in Kapalua to start next year, and that's something he now has a chance to remedy at Disney. Over the last few months, he has gone to Morris Pickens to develop some practice strategies, and Dave Stockton Jr. for help getting back to his natural putting stroke. It has paid off so far at Disney, where he took advantage on the Palm for a bogey-free round of 63. Kim had a 65 on the tougher Magnolia Course, and his spot on the leaderboard was far more critical. "I'm not afraid of Q-school, because I'm only 21 and I've got a lot of things to do and a lot of tournaments to do," Kim said. Far more fearful was undergoing heart surgery in his native South Korea while the FedEx Cup playoffs were going on. He previously had the surgery for an irregular heartbeat when he was 11, and knew he was having a problem when he nearly fainted at the Wyndham Championship in August. He was back to playing golf before long, and now is hopeful of a big week. Simpson had a bogey on the final hole at Magnolia for a 69, while Donald battled a sinus infection and a lack of energy on his way to a 71 as they at least stayed in the game. Their battle was summed up on the 12th hole, when Donald stuffed his tee shot into 2 feet, and Simpson followed with a shot into 3 feet. Both made birdie. "I think both of us are in the same mindset and trying to win the golf tournament," Simpson said. "We want to beat not only each other, but we want to beat the field. I feel that's just natural as competitors. He's got a little further to go. All it takes is a good weekend, and he would be right there." Donald can finish no worse than a two-way tie for second, provided Simpson finishes down the leaderboard. It's a tall order for Donald, the No. 1 player in the world. "I'm going to need to go low on the weekend," Donald said. That won't be the case for a pair of British Open champions, David Duval and Ben Curtis, who both missed the cut. Duval was outside the top 150 on the money list, meaning he would have to go through two stages of Q-school to get his card back. Having gone through Q-school last year, the former world No. 1 is likely to take a year relying on sponsor exemptions and his status as a past champion. Curtis was at No. 149 and likely to fall out of the top 150. Curtis still has the option of playing the European Tour, where he is exempt, while also playing the PGA Tour. Meanwhile, four players from the Champions Tour all made the cut. Michael Allen, whose only win was the Senior PGA Championship two years ago, had a 66 and was in the group at 9-under 135. Others playing the weekend are Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Pernice Jr. and Tom Lehman. Leonard (63) and Stenson (64) played on the easier Palm course, while Kim had a 65 on the Magnolia.

McIlroy splits from agent Chandler after 4 years

2011-10-22T15:17:00.001-07:00

LONDON (AP) U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy split from agent Chubby Chandler on Friday to join Ryder Cup partner Graeme McDowell at a Dublin management company. The 22-year-old Northern Irishman had been represented by Chandler's International Sports Management since turning professional in 2007. McIlroy will now be affiliated with Horizon. "I am now keen to move onto the next stage of my career and I feel this will be facilitated by a fresh view and a new structure around me," McIlroy said in a statement. ISM said it took "great pride ... in guiding him successfully through his formative years as a professional golfer." McIlroy, ranked No. 3, thanked Chandler for his "guidance, representation and management." "Chubby and his team have played a very important role in my success to date," he said. "I have made great progress under their management and for that I will always be grateful."

Arnold Palmer christens Hilton Head redesign

2011-10-21T15:09:00.001-07:00

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Arnold Palmer thought long and hard 40 years ago about moving to Hilton Head. And it was easy to see why after the reception the legendary golfer received Thursday in his latest visit to the island. Palmer was on hand to christen his latest signature course, a redesigned Wexford Plantation layout. He was cheered and celebrated by several hundred fans that turned out to revel in his every move. Palmer gained the undying affection of the region when he won the first-ever Heritage Classic in 1969, bringing national exposure to a largely unknown recreation area. He said he and late wife, Winnie, loved the area and considered locating here back in the late 1960s before choosing Bay Hill, Fla., which hosts Palmer's annual PGA Tour event each March. Those feelings haven't let up for either side more than four decades later. "Winning here was very important in many ways," Palmer said. "I loved Hilton Head and really considered settling here." The fans acted like he already had, following their idol's every move and applauding everything he did, even shouting down a resident at the clinic who had some questions about the redesigned 11th hole could lower his home's resale value. They laughed at his jokes, snapped pictures with cellphones and clapped at just about everything Palmer did. "We all became part of 'Arnie's Army,' didn't we?" said Porter Morgan, a Wexford member. Palmer took a tour of all 18 holes, then put on a clinic for spectators, showing off the swing that in its heyday won four Masters, a U.S. Open and a British Open among 62 PGA Tour titles. These days, the 82-year-old Palmer said he barely plays and does not practice the way he used to as his swing-speed has slowed significantly. "Someone asked, 'Why don't you have your spikes on?'" Palmer said. "I don't even need them." Still, Palmer hit several crisp shots and took questions from the gallery. He was asked about his start in golf and recounted how at 2, he began going to the course with his golf professional father, Deacon, because of Palmer's newborn sister. His father fashioned clubs out of small sticks for his toddler to grip and swing. A few years later, Palmer was playing every day and practicing as often as he could. He's made some sacrifices because of age, using hybrid irons instead of the blades he struck as a younger man. Palmer said he still puts together his clubs from pieces sent to him. Palmer kept urging those ringing his clinic area to push back, joking that he couldn't be sure what direction his shots might fly. He needed have worried, striking the ball solidly on the new practice range built in January and February. About his only wayward ball came on the ceremonial opening drive on the first tee when he hooked his shot into the trees. "No, that doesn't count," said Palmer, sounding like every duffer who ever played the game. The crowd egged him on for a mulligan, which Palmer struck much better to land in the fairway. The driver will be framed and hung in Wexford Plantation's clubhouse. Hilton Head Mayer Drew Laughlin read a proclamation making Thursday, "Arnold Palmer Day" on the island. "I don't know that I deserve it, but it's fun," he said. Palmer said he followed the Heritage tournament's recent search for a replacement title sponsor after Verizon left and did what he could to encourage businesses to look at backing the tournament. RBC stepped in this past June to sponsor the PGA Tour event the next five years. Palmer keeps up with the game and enjoys watching young, rising stars like Webb Simpson and Rory McIlroy reinvent the sport. Palmer wishes the business side of things was as strong as what he sees on the PGA Tour. He said his design company is down from 29 people to three as the demand for courses has declined. He is among those bidding to design the Olympic golf course when the sport's makes its debut for the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. He also hopes golf's young bombers don't make smaller, tighter layouts like Harbour Town Golf Links, site of Palmer's Heritage victory 42 years ago, obsolete. Palmer remembered the narrow fairways and small greens designed by Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus. "It was so narrow, I had to walk single file with my caddie," he said. "But the straightness I hit it with is really what afforded me the championship."

McGowan takes two-shot lead at Castello Masters

2011-10-20T15:07:00.001-07:00

CATELLON, Spain (AP) Ross McGowan shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Castello Masters. The Englishman, ranked No. 543, holed his approach to the par-4 No. 17 for an eagle and made five birdies in a faultless round that left him two strokes ahead of Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti and England's Richard McEvoy. "It's nice to be playing well again and up in contention. I'm just trying to play each shot at a time and put up a good result at the end of the week," said McGowan, who carded a 64 to lead the Madrid Masters two weeks ago before falling out of the running. Hometown favorite Sergio Garcia shot 67, leaving him among a group of players at 4 under that includes Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey - making his first appearance since winning the Dunhill Links. The 31-year-old Garcia, searching for his first European Tour win in almost three years, was 1 over at the turn before sinking five birdies on the back nine. "It was a slow start, but ... then I got going," he said. Defending champion Matteo Manassero opened with five straight birdies, but a double-bogey on No. 15 slowed him down and he finished with a 69. Tom Lewis, last week's Portugal Masters champion, recovered from a poor start and finished with a 71, while American Anthony Kang shot 70 and two-time major winner John Daly had a 73.

Fred Couples wins Champions Tour event

2011-10-18T15:16:00.001-07:00

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Fred Couples ran away with the Champions Tour's AT&T Championship, shooting a bogey-free 6-under 66 on Sunday for a seven-stroke victory - the largest margin on the 50-and-over tour this year. Couples opened with rounds of 65 and 62 and finished at 23 under on TPC San Antonio's Canyons Course. He won for the second time this season and sixth time in two seasons on the tour. "I haven't had a seven-shot lead since '92 or '90 or whenever the heck it was," said Couples, who teed it up ahead by seven to start the day. "I probably may never ever get another one. It's a weird feeling, and I was kind of unnerved (on the front side). But once we got to the back nine I played much better and I pulled away to a lead that was plenty." Mark Calcavecchia shot a 66 to finish second. Charles Schwab Cup points leader Tom Lehman and John Cook tied for third at 14 under. They also closed with 66s. The closest anyone came in the final round was four strokes when Calcavecchia holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole, but Couples birdied five of the last eight holes, including the final two. Last year at The Woodlands outside Houston, he also had a seven-stroke victory. Couples' 54-hole total of 193 broke the tournament record of 195 set by Mark McNulty in 2005 on the par-71 Oak Hills Country Club course. Couples earned $270,000, giving him $957,753 in nine starts on the Champions Tour this year. He's the U.S. captain for the Presidents Cup next month in Australia. Couples birdied the first three holes to start each of the opening two rounds. On Sunday, he parred the first five holes. His first birdie came on the par-5 sixth, but Calcavecchia matched it to stay six back. Calcavecchia, second in the Schwab Cup standings, made it a bit interesting. After Couples lipped out a birdie putt from about 5 feet on the seventh, Calcavecchia stuck his tee shot on the par-3 eighth to 10 feet and sank the putt. And his 12-footer on No. 10 cut Couples' lead to four. "Even then I knew I was in a battle for second," Calcavecchia said, "and that's what I was aiming for." Calcavecchia left a birdie putt on the edge on No. 11 from 15 feet, and Couples made his from 8 to get the lead back to five. He holed a 10-footer No. 12 to go to 20 under and six ahead. "Nos. 11 and 12 are very good driving holes and those were probably two of the best drives I hit all day and I birdied them both," Couples said. "Unless (Calcavecchia) was going to birdie every hole, the odds were against him catching me." It was the final full field on the Champions Tour. The top 30 in the point standings are headed to the Charles Schwab Cup on Nov. 3-6 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.

Crane rallies to win McGladrey Classic

2011-10-17T15:11:00.001-07:00

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) Ben Crane wasn't sure why he was even playing the McGladrey Classic. The real mystery came Sunday afternoon, when he sat down next to a shiny silver trophy. "What the heck am I doing here?" Crane said. His wife is expecting their third child, though a Caesarian section is scheduled for Monday in Dallas. Crane thought about withdrawing five minutes before his tee time Thursday because of a sore hip that was getting worse. And with 11 holes left in the tournament, he was seven shots out of the lead. Crane ran off four straight birdies around the turn, then another batch of four straight birdies for a 7-under 63. He wound up winning in a playoff when Webb Simpson missed a short par putt on the second extra hole. "I'm in a little bit of shock - a lot of shock," Crane said. "I don't know how those guys played, but I know I played just about as good as I can play." Michael Thompson, a 25-year-old tour rookie who had a one-shot lead going into the final round, stretched the margin to three shots on the front nine until he stalled. He hit his tee shot into a hazard on the 18th hole, made bogey and shot 69 to finish one shot out of the playoff. Billy Horschel, also playing in the last group, imploded early and late and shot 75. Simpson closed with a 66, despite not making a birdie over his last seven holes. The playoff - the 18th this year on the PGA Tour to extend a record - looked as though it might go longer when Crane made a 5-foot comebacker for par on the 17th. Simpson only had to knock in a putt just over 3 feet for par, but it caught the right edge and spun away. "As soon as I hit it, I looked up expecting it to be going in, and saw it catching the right lip," Simpson said. "It was unfortunate to end that way." Despite missing a chance to become the PGA Tour's only three-time winner this year, Simpson's runner-up finish gave him a commanding lead over Luke Donald in his late bid to win the tour's money title. Crane, who earned $720,000 for his first win this year, and Simpson finished at 15-under 265 at Sea Island. Starting the day five shots out of the lead, Crane thought a 63 or 62 might be enough. He really didn't pay much attention, not realizing until he saw a leaderboard on the 16th hole that he was still in the game. His 7-iron on the 14th stopped a foot from going in. His 3-wood on the par-5 15th set up a two-putt birdie from long range. Once he knew the score, Crane was at his best with the putter, holing birdie putts of about 20 feet on the 16th and 17th. "I thought, 'Well, I need to make two birdies in three holes.' Do you guys have any idea how many times we say that to ourselves? And how many times does it actually happen?" It did on Sunday, giving Crane is fourth career win. With his runner-up finish, Simpson moved to the top of the money list by $363,029 over Donald. Both have entered the season-ending tournament next week in Disney, though Donald's task became a lot more difficult. At the very least, Donald would have to finish no worse than a two-way for second to have any chance to move past Simpson and resume his bid to become the first player to win money titles on the PGA Tour and European Tour. Donald already has a comfortable lead in Europe. "Finishing second is going to make it a lot harder for Luke," Simpson said. "But I'm sure he's going to play well. He's played well most every week this year. I still wouldn't be surprised if I have a little work to do next week." Crane was playing his last official PGA Tour event of the year. His wife, Heather, is home in the Dallas area and they arranged for the birth to be on Monday. If all goes well - and Crane gets good news from a hip scan Wednesday - he might go to Malaysia to defend his title in the unofficial Asia Pacific Classic. Thompson missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 15th that would have given him the outright lead, and then his nerves started to show with errant tee shots. He got away with one on the 16th, but not on the final hole, when his tee shot went into the hazard and cost him a penalty drop. "All I think about on those tee shots is just hit in the middle of club face," Thompson said. "And for one reason, that one tee shot I didn't. And It got me." The small consolation was a third-place finish that assures him keeping his card for next year. Also locking up his card was Bud Cauley, the 21-year-old who left Alabama after his junior season to turn pro. Cauley shot 67 and tied for 15th to earn $64,000, and now is the equivalent of No. 112 on the money list. He is only the sixth player to go from college and earn his tour card without having to through Q-school, and Cauley joins Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as the only players to accomplish that feat in eight starts or fewer. "It's very exciting for me," Cauley said. "I can't wait to come out here and play all year out here." A pair of major champions had their best finish of the year. Louis Oosthuizen, who won at St. Andrews last summer, was one shot out of the lead until a bogey on the 18th. He closed with a 66 to finish fourth. Former Masters champion Trevor Immelman, slowed the last two years by a wrist injury that eventually required surgery, had a 69 and finished finish. It was Immelman's first top 10 since 2008. DIVOTS: Scott McCarron shot a 68 to tie for sixth, earning a spot in the field next week at Disney. He also moved to No. 145 on the money list, which would at least give him conditional status next year if he stays there. ... Going into the final tournament, James Driscoll is at No. 125 on the money list by $6,287 over Bill Lunde, who already is exempt next year. Billy Mayfair, who won Q-school last year, is at No. 127 by $12,367.

Unheralded Lewis wins Portugal Masters by 2

2011-10-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

VILAMOURA, Portugal (AP) English golfer Tom Lewis shot a 7-under 65 to come from four shots back to win the Portugal Masters on Sunday. Lewis managed five of his seven birdies over the last seven holes for a two shot victory over Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who held a four-stroke lead going into the final round. The Spanish golfer hit into the water on his way to a double bogey 7 at the 12th to see his chances at victory fade. The 20-year-old Lewis finished with a 21-under total of 267 to win in his third event since turning professional. Gregory Havret (64), David Lynn (64), Christian Nilsson (71), Thomas Bjorne (71) and Jamie Donaldson (67) finished two strokes back of the unranked Lewis, who won $568,135.

Simpson takes big step toward money title

2011-10-15T15:12:00.001-07:00

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) Webb Simpson signed up for the McGladrey Classic because it gave him a shot at winning the PGA Tour money title. He played Thursday as though he was intent on doing just that. Simpson matched his best score of the year in the opening round at Sea Island, making eight birdies for a 7-under 63 that gave him a share of the lead with tour rookie Zack Miller. "There's no way I can play this golf tournament without thinking about the money title," Simpson said. "I'm thinking about it every day. But I'm not over every shot thinking, 'This is for the money title.' It's more that I'm just trying my best to get focused on winning the golf tournament." At this rate, he stands a reasonable chance at both. Simpson has won twice in his last five tournaments, leaving him $68,971 behind Luke Donald on the money list with two tournaments remaining. Donald isn't playing this week, and he has until 5 p.m. Friday to decide whether to play Disney next week in the final event of the PGA Tour season. Also at stake is the PGA Tour player of the year award, with no clear favorite. No player has more than two wins and, while Donald has only one win in the United States, he has been No. 1 in the world since May. For Donald and Simpson, the money title could go a long way in collecting votes. Simpson needs to finish at least in 15th place alone to surpass Donald, although he looked as if he had bigger plans the way he worked his way around the Seaside course, even as the breeze picked up late in the morning. Deliberate by nature, Simpson at times switched clubs two or three times, although it paid off on the fourth hole when he went back to a 7-iron and dropped his shot some 4 feet from the cup for a birdie. The only glitch was a poor approach from the middle of the 18th fairway in the middle of his round for a bogey. Simpson isn't alone in having money on his mind this week. Miller is trying not to think about it. He hasn't made a cut since the Viking Classic in July and has fallen to No. 146 on the money list. If he doesn't get into the top 150, he'll have to return to the second stage of Q-school. But he has tried to take whatever positives he could find out of the last few months, learning to base happiness on something besides his scores. It was hard not to be happy with a 63, especially after going birdie-birdie-eagle early in his round, the longest of those a 4-footer for eagle on No. 15 after a perfect 5-iron. Martin Piller was tied for the lead until a bogey on the last hole put him in a large group at 64. That included Scott McCarron, who is No. 163 on the money list and birdied his last three holes. McCarron, like so many others in the Fall Series events, is trying to get inside the top 125 to secure his full PGA Tour card for next year. Also at 64 was Billy Horschel, who is No. 139 on the money list. They were followed by a group at 65 that included two-time major champion Angel Cabrera, Ben Crane, Nick O'Hern and Richard S. Johnson of Sweden. Johnson had to go through Q-school last year, and started the year with a nagging injury to his right shoulder. He continued to play because he couldn't afford to fall further down the priority list, and it has cost him. Johnson is at No. 186 on the money list, headed back to Q-school unless he can turn around his fortunes quickly. "Now I've got to get back to my old swing," he said. "When you're swinging injured, you get into some bad habits. I've been playing nicely at home, but it's just a matter of bringing it out here." That sounds a lot like Tiger Woods, and Johnson also plays out of The Medalist in south Florida. "I haven't shot a 62 yet," he said, referring to Woods' setting the course record two weeks ago. "It's been more like 65 and 66." Either way, those scores don't count when it comes to playing the tour and needing to make something happen quickly. Bud Cauley, the 21-year-old who left Alabama after his junior season to turn pro this summer, opened with a 68. Cauley is poised to become only the sixth player to go from college to getting his tour card without going through Q-school. He is the equivalent of No. 114 on the money list, and a solid start only helped that cause. Simpson was as deliberate over his schedule as he is over a golf shot. He said he had some 15 options to consider because of his plans to go overseas for the first time, which includes the Presidents Cup in Australia. He has settled on the Singapore Open a week before the Nov. 17-20 matches at Royal Melbourne. There was some consideration for Asia, although once he adjusted his international travel to make room for the McGladrey Classic, it was an easy decision. Even so, he had to switch from vacation mode to find the game that brought him wins in Greensboro and Boston, and it didn't take long once he left the practice range. "I did have a little question in my mind, 'Would I be able to turn the brain back on and get in the competitive mode again?'" Simpson said. He answered with a 63, matching the score he posted in the third and final round at Plainfield in The Barclays. Divots: Matt Kuchar, who has earned more than $9 million on the PGA Tour in the last two years, has signed with Excel Sports Management and will be represented by Mark Steinberg. Kuchar joins a golf stable that includes Tiger Woods and former U.S. Women's Amateur champion Danielle Kang. ... Tournament host Davis Love III has his son, 17-year-old Dru, caddying for him this week. Love opened with a 69. ... Rickie Fowler, coming off his first professional win last week in South Korea, shot 73.

Luke Donald adds Disney to his schedule

2011-10-14T15:08:00.001-07:00

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Calif. (AP) Luke Donald is not going to give up the PGA Tour money title without a fight. Donald decided Friday to enter the PGA Tour's final tournament next week at Disney, a response to Webb Simpson playing this week in the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island. Donald made a birdie on the final hole of the Tour Championship to tie for third, pushing him to the top of the money list by $68,971 over Simpson. Donald is trying to become the first player to win the money title on the PGA Tour and European Tour. It could be the first time since 2003 that the PGA Tour money title came down to the final tournament of the year.

Simpson eyes PGA Tour money title lead week at McGladrey Classic

2011-10-13T15:25:00.001-07:00

Webb Simpson has earned $5.77 million on the PGA Tour this season, and yet he will tee it up at the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, Ga., in hopes of finishing the year atop the money list. He is just under $69,000 behind Luke Donald, who would be the first player to win the money title on both sides of the Atlantic. (Donald leads the European Tour money list by a comfortable margin.) Should Simpson pull ahead, Donald could elect to play Disney next week, which would mean Simpson would have to play it, which would make the Disney less for Charles Howell III fans than Thurston Howell III fans. At the other end of the money list is Paul Casey, who played well for most of last week's Frys.com Open before fading to a T7 finish. Casey, whose summer was a casualty of a mysterious foot injury, rose from 135th to 127th on the money list at CordeValle, and has more work to do at Sea Island to crack the top 125. "It's not perfect," Casey said of his right foot after shooting a second-round 64 at the Frys.com at CordeValle, "but now I can walk without limping and I feel like I'm to be honest it's probably the best I've hit the golf ball all year, and even though the toe isn't 100 percent, it's great news." Matt Jones, the Australian who played at Arizona State, is 125th, while sometime Golf Channel broadcaster Steve Flesch is 126th. Andres Gonzales, the mutton-chopped, mulleted endomorph who calls himself "half man, half amazing," and who keeps tweeting Tiger Woods to see if they can hook up for a practice round, is languishing at 213th in earnings. He could use a big week. Among the most intriguing players at Sea Island will be Bud Cauley, the 21 -year-old who left Alabama after his junior year and turned pro in March, and Rickie Fowler, 22, who won for the first time as a pro in Korea last weekend. Cauley has no status on the PGA Tour, but qualified for the U.S. Open at Congressional, where he finished in the back of the pack, and has made the most of his sponsor's exemptions. He finished third at the Frys.com last weekend, which got him into the McGladrey, an event he'd planned to try to Monday-qualify for after a red-eye flight Sunday. "This is definitely a lot easier," he said at CordeValle. His $340,000 payday at CordeValle pushed the diminutive Cauley up to $671,150 in earnings after just seven starts, which would put him 114th on the money list. He will almost certainly earn his card for 2012, bypassing Q school and becoming just the sixth player to accomplish the feat, the first since Ryan Moore. Fowler, who won the Korea Open by six strokes over Rory McIlroy, is perhaps America's most exciting and marketable young golfer, which is no small thing given how fast Tiger Woods has fallen from grace. If the stylish Fowler can leverage that hard-won breakthrough into a string of Ws, golf may attract some attention even in the midst of the baseball playoffs and the NFL and college football seasons. There isn't much left on the 2011 calendar: two Fall Series events, the HSBC Champions (always a strong field), the Aussie Open, PGA and Masters, and the Presidents Cup that's about it. Oh, and if you count the Chevron Challenge as a real tournament, there's that, too. Woods did the Chevron media day Tuesday, and said he was grateful to have barely qualified to play in the event he hosts. "I had points rolling off from '09," Woods said, explaining how he's fallen to 52nd in the World Ranking. "I had a very good year that year. I won, what, seven times around the world, so all those points are coming off. Unfortunately, I fell quite a bit, and I fell fast. Good news is, by playing next year, I have no points coming off so I can start rebuilding." Seniors down to their last full-field tournament The Champions Tour's AT&T Championship at TPC San Antonio is the last chance for the 50-and-overs to climb into the top 30 on the money list and qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at TPC Harding Park. The good news for Tom Pernice Jr. was that he made the cut and finished T36 at the Frys.com Open last weekend. The bad news was he missed the Insperity Championship and fell from 27th to 30th on the senior money list. Brad Faxon, who got his first Champions victory at the Insperity, is 39th on the Schwab Cup points list. The AT&T Canyons Course, designed by Pete Dye and Bruce Leitzke, is a new venue for the AT&T Championship. (Verizon and Sprint users are presumably still welcome.) This will be San Antonio's 27th straight year as host city, the longest streak for any metropolitan area on the Champions tour, and TPC San Antonio, which also hosts the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open, becomes one of three golf facilities to host two PGA Tour-sanctioned events. The others: TPC Sawgrass, which hosts the Players and the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open, and Pebble Beach, home of the AT&T Pro-Am and the Nature Valley First Tee Open. Short game: Jamie Lovemark, the Nationwide Tour's player of the year last year, who had back surgery over the summer and hasn't competed since the Shell Houston Open in May, will play the Nationwide's Miccosukee Championship in Miami. Daniel Chopra is 25th on the Nationwide money list, with an $11,864 lead over Marco Dawson with two full-field events remaining. The top 25 make it to the PGA Tour next year. In his last three Nationwide starts, Miguel Carballo of Argentina lost in a playoff, tied for seventh, and last weekend won, climbing to fifth on the money list, up from 60th Sept. 18. Martin Kaymer will be the highest-ranked player (No. 6) at the Euro tour's Portugal Masters at Oceanico Victoria Golf Course. Also in the field are Alvaro Quiros, who won the tournament in '08, Thomas Bjorn, a three-time winner this year, and Padraig Harrington. Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen, Cristie Kerr and Christina Kim are among those who will try to stop the juggernaut that is Yani Tseng at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. Tweet

PGA Tour Confidential: Tiger's return at the Frys.com Open

2011-10-12T15:12:00.001-07:00

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. ASSESSING TIGERS LATEST COMEBACK Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine : Welcome back to another round of PGA Tour Confidential. Weve got a lot to get through, so lets get started with the topic of the week: Tiger Woods. (Sorry, Briny Baird and Bryce Molder.) After pronouncing himself fit and healthy enough for sufficient practice time with swing coach Sean Foley, Tiger showed up at the Frys.com Open at CordeValle and finished T30, with rounds of 73-68-68-68. What did you think of Tigers performance this week, and did he change your view of his long-term prospects? Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated : It was about what I expected: some spectacular shot-making, but the consistency still isn't there. He has to be concerned about the short game. The putter is not cooperating, and what is up with his bunker play? I'll say it again: the guy needs to play more. Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : Tiger always talks about getting in his reps. He played four rounds with a cut in the first time in forever. He needs way more reps. There's no evidence that he's going to get them. David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com : Tiger made some good swings, some bad swings, threw his driver, missed some putts, made some putts and continued to play inconsistent golf. It's what I expected to see. Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : A mixed bag for Tiger. Some good signs, some causes for concern. As Mr. Bamberger said, he needs more reps, more tournaments. Have a question for Gary Van Sickle's mailbag? E-mail editor@golf.com or ask it on Facebook. Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated : Tiger's performance was a Turn of the Screw type of thing: you can see whatever you want to see. If you think he's done, you'll focus on the missed putts and fairways and mediocre finish. If you believe hes going to win again, you'll see the holed putts, moments of crisp iron play and improvement from his last appearance. I think he looks like he's on the way, but this week won't change anyone's mind. Stephanie Wei, contributor, SI Golf+ : Tiger shot three straight rounds in the 60s for the first time this year, which shows progress. I can't believe we're applauding him for his "consistent" play and T30 finish at the Frys.com Open. How times have changed! Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : I can't get jazzed about a T30 during football season. Three 68s are solid, but this is Tiger Woods we're talking about. Charlie Hanger, executive editor, Golf.com : Definitely inconsistent, but hes making enough birdies to win some matches at the Presidents Cup. Couples must be feeling pretty good about his pick. Not great, but pretty good. Imagine Freddys mood if Tiger had blown up and missed the cut? Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : I actually thought he showed improvement. The scary thing is that Tiger plays well in stretches and then makes a truly awful swing. He's just as likely to miss left as right. That just destroys your confidence. Van Sickle: Alan is right. He doesn't look like one of the 12 best players in America and certainly doesn't seem ready for a Presidents Cup. Of course, he's a captain's pick so it's not as if he's expected to play all five matches. If he were going to step aside and let Keegan Bradley take his place, he would've done so by now. Fred can fit Tiger in when and where he wants in Australia. But I don't think we'll see him five times. Godich: Fred has to be wondering how wise it would be to send him out in alternate shot. Rick Lipsey, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated : It would be very surprising if Tiger sits even one match. Bamberger: I agree. Tiger's strength is his intimidation factor, not based on how he's playing but on his 14 majors. Van Sickle: I disagree. If Tiger is playing like this, I'd be very surprised if he didn't sit for at least one match. Fred has to be more concerned about whether Steve Stricker is going to be healthy enough to play. Tell us what you think: Did Tiger show that he is deserving of being a Presidents Cup captain's pick? SHOULD TIGER PLAY ANOTHER FALL SERIES EVENT? Walker: : After his round, Tiger said he wouldnt be adding another Fall Series event prior to the Presidents Cup because he was pretty busy. Bad idea, or will this tournament and some more practice with coach Sean Foley in Florida be enough to get ready for November? Dusek: Busy with what? If Tiger's children are going to be staying with him, I give him a partial pass, but he's been "off" since the PGA Championship in early August. Tiger said he needs to play more, to compete more, but instead of adding another event he's going back into hibernation. Bad idea. Shipnuck: All he needs is more reps. Which he'll get in, like, a month. His schedule is utterly baffling. Wei: I get that he wants to be a good dad, but would it be impossible to switch weekends or something? The Disney is right up the road from him. Godich: With all the good shots he hit this week, Tiger had something he could have really built on. I don't know what more reps with Foley will do. The only way Tiger is going to get his edge back is by teeing it up in competition. Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group This tournament was all about keeping the critics off Fred Coupless back. Our Presidents Cup captain first said that TW didnt have to prove anything to be a captains pick. Outrage ensued. Then Couples said TW had to play in a Fall Series event, and he did. Van Sickle: Once again, Tiger wins no charm points for his curt Golf Channel interview, in which he largely failed to answer the questions. He completely dodged the question about the state of his game now. Nothing has changed; it's still Tiger against the world (all of us). I'm sure he can't wait to reclaim his place at the top, but that day, if it ever happens, is a ways off. You'd think it wouldn't be too tough to play a tour event in Orlando. But that's his choice. It's too early to second guess it. Bamberger: Just the suggestion of Tiger playing more fall golf must bruise his ego. He should play more, of course, but we see him only as a professional golfer, and he sees much more. Hack: It would have been cool to see Tiger on a love-of-the-game barnstorming tour of the Fall Series. Not realistic, I know, but cool. Van Sickle: Another reason for Tiger to play more, especially early next year, is the circus atmosphere at the Frys.com, caused by his rare appearance. Tiger playing is like spotting a rare endangered bird or Howard Hughes. That just adds to the pressure of the week for him. He needs to get out and play 20 or 22 times on Tour next year and get his career back to normal. At least, normal for him. Bamberger: Tiger's never played a heavy schedule, and he certainly won't start now. The less he plays, the more demand there is for him. Godich: He doesn't care about the demand. He just wants to win majors. Tell us what you think: Should Tiger play another Fall Series event?

British Open returns to 'Home of Golf' in 2015

2011-10-11T15:15:00.001-07:00

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) Organizers say the 2015 British Open will be held at the Old Course at St. Andrews. The event has been staged at the famous Scottish venue known as the "Home of Golf" every five years since 1990. Peter Dawson, chief executive of tournament organizer Royal & Ancient, says "St. Andrews has proved time and again that it is perfectly equipped to host The Open and I am certain we will yet again see a worthy winner lift the claret jug." St. Andrews has hosted the British Open 28 times, most recently in 2010 when Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa won by seven shots.

Faxon wins rain-shortened Insperity Championship

2011-10-10T15:05:00.001-07:00

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) Brad Faxon won the Insperity Championship without hitting a shot on Sunday when heavy rain washed out the final round of the Champions Tour's event. Faxon, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour who turned 50 on Aug. 1, shot a 7-under 65 in windy conditions Saturday to take a one-stroke lead at 10-under at The Woodlands Country Club. Tommy Armour III was second, and Eduardo Romero finished two strokes back. Jay Haas, Olin Browne and Schwab Cup points leader Tom Lehman (70) followed at 7 under, and winner Fred Couples was 4 under. Faxon won his first title on the 50-and-over circuit in his sixth start. "I had passed all my goals this week, was hitting my irons a lot better and made a 4-footer on 18 on Saturday, which turned out to be the winning stroke," he said about the victory that he learned about when he received a text message while standing in the clubhouse. The round was washed out after two morning delays, Faxon was asked if had ever won a tournament as a pro or amateur, without hitting a shot because of weather on the final day. "Nope, never. Not one, definitely never," Faxon said. "I can't say I was hoping for a rainout because of what a win means out here, but I wanted to play. I was playing really good." Champions Tour official Brian Claar said tour regulations do not allow for a Monday finish. "There was no place to push the water it was came down so fast and we had already had so much rain today," Claar said. Armour remained winless on the tour, but did move into top 30 in the money standings to possible qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup. "Sure I wanted to play, but there was nothing we could," Armour said. "It's just what we have here. I am ready to go, but there nothing you can do about this." Lehman retained his large lead in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points standing headed to the final two events of the season.

Yang equals record, takes Hana Bank lead

2011-10-09T15:13:00.001-07:00

INCHEON, South Korea (AP) Local youngster Soo-Jin Yang tied the course record as she took over the lead of the LPGA's Hana Bank Championship on Saturday, one stroke ahead of world No. 1 Yani Tseng. Yang shot up to the top of the leaderboard with a round of 65 and a two-round total of 10-under 134 at Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course. The 20-year-old took advantage of ideal weather conditions to tie the course record set by Tseng just a day earlier. Yang, who is playing on a sponsor's invitation this week, had seven birdies and no bogeys. "I felt good starting yesterday, but the difference today was that I was able to capitalize on my chances," Yang said. Tseng shot a 70, recovering from two bogeys on her first three holes to fire off four straight birdies and claim a share of second place with two-time defending champion Na Yeon Choi, who had another bogey-free round. On the par-3 eight hole, Tseng got into trouble again after pushing her tee shot to the right into an unplayable lie. After taking a penalty stroke, she got up and down for a bogey. On the back nine, Tseng birdied Nos. 11 and 15 before dropping another stroke on No. 16. "I'm very disappointed. I made a lot of mistakes today, especially with putting," Tseng said. "If I can reduce the three-putts and not think too much I will do well tomorrow." Sunday's final group will be a rematch of the 2009 final round. That year, Choi and Tseng were also paired in the same group, with Choi outdueling Tseng by one stroke to win the tournament with a birdie on the final hole. South Koreans Jimin Kang and Chella Choi were at 7 under and compatriot Meena Lee was at 6 under. Americans Angela Standford and Brittany Lincicome were part of a group of five players tied another stroke back. Meanwhile, veteran Se Ri Pak was disqualified after the first round for inadvertently signing an incorrect scorecard. Pak signed for a three instead of a four on the 17th hole. "This was an honest mistake," Pak said. "I am sure my fans are disappointed, but no one is more disappointed than I am." LPGA vice president of Tournament Business Affairs Mike Nichols said Pak came forward to acknowledge her mistake, and said her "honesty and integrity in bringing this to the attention of the rules officials should be applauded."

Against long odds, Tom Doak opens a short course in the heart of Detroit

2011-10-08T15:08:00.001-07:00

DETROIT On Monday afternoon, 17-year-old Leticia Gittens was among 130 or so high-school seniors who helped Tom Doak usher in his latest design, a four-hole short course on the leafy campus of Marygrove College. With her peers watching her, photographers shooting her, and traffic rumbling by on McNichols Road behind her, Gittens stepped between two tee markers to strike a ceremonial first shot. In a sporty white zip-up and capri pants, she eyed her target, a flagstick about 75 yards away, then looked down at her ball and swung. Whiff. Then again. Whiff. And again. Whiff. On her fourth attempt, Gittens finally connected, first with the sod, then with the top of the ball. As the orb skittered off the tee box, she smiled. The gallery hollered. Doak tamped down the displaced earth. "I have a thing about replacing divots," he said, smiling. This wasn't your standard ribbon cutting. Then again, the Marygrove layout isn't your standard Doak design. Two years ago, at the request of the SI Golf Group, Doak agreed to donate the services of his Michigan-based Renaissance Golf Design to build a practice site at Marygrove not only for the student body, but also for participants of Midnight Golf, a 10-year-old mentoring program that combines life lessons with golf lessons to help inner-city high-school students find their way to college. The finished product four short par 3s, a spacious bentgrass practice green, and a double-sided practice range that can accommodate as many as 26 golfers hitting limited-flight balls won't appear on any Top 100 lists, but that was never the goal. In a city still reeling from the effects of the recession and the decimation of the auto industry, the little course is the result of big thinking, community activism, and dozens of tireless volunteers. It's also an inspired use of urban land. "To some, it is unbelievable that in the heart of the city, at Six Mile and Wyoming, there is a golf facility designed and donated by celebrated golf course architect Tom Doak," said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, who spoke at Marygrove on Monday. "To me, it is a testament of the hope people have for Detroit and an example of things to come." The mayor joked that if Doak is seeking more work in downtown Detroit, where empty lots and abandoned buildings populate the landscape, the city would be happy to accommodate him. "If you need some property," Bing said, drawing laughter, "I've got a little bit that's going to be available." With the ceremonial tee shots struck even Marygrove President David Fike, who admitted he has never played golf, jumped in and took a swipe Doak led a tour of the property. His team, headed by Detroit native Brian Slawnik, felled some of the trees that dotted the site, but many were kept in place to help shape the holes. Brian Walters Photography Architect Tom Doak took a few swings at the grand opening. "It was an interesting design problem," Doak said after hitting a couple of tee shots of his own (pictured). "How do you get the most golf out of what's little more than five acres at a major urban intersection in Detroit? This is one of the most flexible projects we've ever tried to build, and it's going to evolve over time." "A lot of it is framing the views and picking the prettiest spots to play from," he added. Behind him, in the distance, rose Marygrove's architectural highlight: a pair of Gothic, copper-roofed towers that climb nearly 140 feet above the main entrance of the liberal arts building. The site isn't just scenic; it's also sustainable. Doak's team employed a low-irrigation grass seed mixture that requires little water and an environmentally friendly seaweed fertilizer. Indeed, the entire site is organically maintained, which Doak noted, "very few golf courses can say." When the tour concluded, the Midnight Golfers split into groups to sample their new home track. Brian Cairns, a PGA professional from nearby Fox Hills golf club who volunteers his teaching services to the program, sounded like a drill sergeant as he patrolled one end of the practice range. "Your arms are too far apart!" he barked to one of his students. "Tighten them up!" Cairns continued down the range, a florescent yellow Srixon cap tugged low over his brow. Evening had settled in, and so had a chill. Not that the teenagers seemed to mind. Behind the dozen or so of them beating balls, dozens more stood in lines, eagerly awaiting their turns for some whacks. "There you go!" Cairns said to another of his pupils who had just launched a high, soft fade. "It's not his first rodeo!" You don't have to look far to appreciate the significance of the golf facility. Behind the practice range, on the opposite side of McNichols Road, is a boarded-up building, which, according to faded letters across the storefront, was once occupied by a psychic. The space is deserted, the paint is peeling, and the former tenant is presumably long gone. It's a symbol of Detroit's struggles, and yet now, just across the street, a very different kind of symbol has become a reality. A Tom Doak course in downtown Detroit? Even a fortune-teller couldn't have seen that coming. Tweet

Another sluggish start for Tiger Woods

2011-10-07T15:12:00.001-07:00

SAN MARTIN, Calif. (AP) Anyone expecting a new and improved version of Tiger Woods saw much of the same old thing Thursday. An early birdie to raise hopes. A sudden tumble. And he couldn't make a putt. In his first tournament in seven weeks, Woods went 13 holes between his only two birdies at the Frys.com Open and had a 2-over 73 that put him in danger of missing consecutive cuts for the first time in his career. "That's probably one of the worst putting rounds I've ever had," Woods said. "I can't putt the ball any worse than I did today." Texas Open winner Brendan Steele opened with a 4-under 67 on a cool day at CordeValle with a few bursts of showers. He was joined in the lead by Briny Baird, Garrett Willis and Matt Bettencourt. Woods fell out of the top 50 in the world ranking this week for the first time in 15 years, and it showed. The best golf in his group came from UCLA sophomore Patrick Cantlay, the No. 1 amateur in the world, who opened with a 2-under 69. Woods was tied for 86th, although he was still only one shot out of the top 70 and ties that advance to the weekend. It marked the sixth straight round in which he failed to break par, and another occasion of having to scroll far down the leaderboard to find him. He had not played since missing the cut at the PGA Championship in August, finishing out of the top 100 for the first time in a major. Woods said the time off at least gave him time to practice, to nail down the major work in his swing change with Sean Foley, and to play 36 holes a day at home in Florida. Being back on the PGA Tour was different, even if it looked the same. There was nothing special about his game, although whatever he did right was derailed once he got on the greens. Woods missed three putts inside 6 feet, two of them for birdie. Even toward the end of his round, he froze when he saw a 4-foot par putt on the 16th hole take a 360-degree ride around the edge of the cup before falling. "The rest of the game was not too bad," Woods said. "I hit some bad shots, yes. But also, I hit some really good ones. And very pleased at the shots I was hitting most of the day. But I got nothing out of the round on the greens. And whatever momentum I could have gotten by hitting good shots ... you know, I just missed putts." He missed a 6-foot birdie attempt at the par-5 ninth, but saved par with a 12-footer - the longest putt he made all day - on the next hole. That appeared to give him a lift, for he stuffed his tee shot on the par-3 11th to 4 feet. The putt didn't even touch the hole. And then, Woods made a mess of the par-5 12th. From the left rough, the grass grabbed his club and pulled the shot toward the hazard. Woods never found the ball, had to return to the other side of a creek and lay up short of another hazard in front of the green. He had to work hard to two-putt from 35 feet for double bogey. The last time Woods missed consecutive cuts on the PGA Tour was in 1994, when he was an 18-year-old amateur. In fact, he missed his first seven cuts as an amateur. On the PGA Tour, he has missed the 36-hole cut only seven times in his career. "I need to put together a good round tomorrow and gradually piece my way back into the tournament," Woods said. The leaders didn't seem to have many problems, although the cold weather and occasional rain put low scores at a premium. Steele birdied his last two holes for a 31 on the back nine. Baird has made nearly $12 million on the PGA Tour - the most of anyone without having won a tournament - and at least gave himself hope by playing without a bogey. The group at 68 included a pair of Australians, Rod Pampling and Matt Jones, both on the bubble for finishing in the top 125 on the money list and keeping their PGA Tour cards. There are two more tournaments after this week. Money is not an issue for Cantlay - at least not yet. He has done so well this year, from being low amateur at the U.S. Open to his record-setting 60 at the Travelers Championship, that some feel he is ready for the PGA Tour. He wasn't all that impressed with a score that was four shots better than Woods. "He played how he played," Cantlay said. "I didn't have any expectations for what he was going to do, or what anybody else was going to do, except for myself." Cantlay is not one to easily get flustered, even playing with Woods, and it showed on the opening hole. Stepping up to his tee shot, he let out a gaping yawn, then smashed his drive down the fairway. For the rest of the day, the UCLA sophomore outplayed the 14-time major champion. Both rolled off the front of the green at No. 6, where Cantlay rattled in a 35-foot birdie putt, and then Woods came up 5 feet short and had to save par. On the par-5 ninth, Woods put his third shot just inside 6 feet from the cup. Cantlay holed his 10-footer for birdie, and Woods blocked his birdie putt. Cantlay went out in 32, and his lone mistake was a three-putt on the 13th when he missed a 2-footer. Woods started beautifully - a tee shot into the fairway, a short iron to 3 feet for birdie. Some three hours passed before his next birdie, however, and the day quickly became a struggle. Woods hit three bunker shots on No. 2 - two from the one in front of the green - for a bogey. He missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 3 and then hooked a tee shot on the fourth, looking down at his hand to suggest it slipped off the club in the rain. It was ordinary golf, the brand he has been playing for much of the last two years. Woods has another month off after CordeValle before the Australian Open and the Presidents Cup. He is under more scrutiny than usual as a captain's pick by Fred Couples, and a round like this is not going to make the skeptics go away. "I'm just playing to get competitive and win a golf tournament," Woods said. "It's not about validation. It's about going out there and playing. And right now, I'm six back."

Na Yeon Choi seeks third straight Hana Bank title

2011-10-06T15:17:00.001-07:00

INCHEON, South Korea (AP) Na Yeon Choi is looking for her third straight Hana Bank Championship when the LPGA Tour's annual swing through Asia begins Friday at the South Korean port city of Incheon. The 23-year-old Korean is ranked No. 4 but has failed to win on tour this season. She will be up against 48 of the top 52 earners on the LPGA money list at the Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course just west of Seoul. "I have a lot of pressure (to win), but I hope to use that pressure in a good way," Choi said. "I won a Korea LPGA tournament a month ago, so I have a lot of confidence, especially at this golf course." Also in the field is top-ranked Yani Tseng of Taiwan, who has five wins this year - including two majors that made her the youngest LPGA player to reach five in a career. Tseng currently dominates all the year-end awards races, including the money list, the Rolex Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average. Despite the success, however, Tseng continues to be a student of the game. "Every tournament I just try my best," she said. "I need to keep working hard and keep learning. There are a lot of things that I can achieve." Cristie Kerr also returns after forfeiting her final-day singles match for the United States this month at the Solheim Cup due to tendinitis in her right wrist. The U.S. team eventually lost by a point, giving Europe its first win since 2003. Kerr said she is monitoring her wrist and is hopeful she will be able to compete. "Tendinitis sometimes flares up and sometimes it goes away completely," Kerr said. "We're just going to have to take it day-by-day and see." The LPGA Tour will move to Malaysia and Taiwan after South Korea, followed by the Mizuno Classic in Japan in the first week of November. The "Asia Swing" was originally scheduled to begin a week earlier with the inaugural Imperial Springs tournament in Guangzhou, China. However, the China Golf Association notified the LPGA just two weeks before the event was supposed to begin that the tournament would be canceled.

All signs point to Woods playing well at the Frys.com Open

2011-10-05T15:16:00.001-07:00

Tiger Woods returns to the PGA Tour this week and for once its not a moment too soon. In the last couple years, Tiger has been repeatedly sidelined by scandal, injuries, marital problems we all know the list and each time he returned it felt like he was rushing to get back from something. The 2010 Masters. The 2011 Players Championship. The 2011 PGA Championship. When he returns at the Frys.com Open at Cordevalle in Northern California, hell be coming back on his own timetable. The dust has finally settled, and I expect Tiger to play well. Everything points toward a good week for Tiger. Hes now had plenty of time to work with new swing coach, Sean Foley. If its going to work with Foley, then we should start to see it this week. I know it was only a practice round, but that 62 at Medalist he shot last week is a good sign. The caddie change is also good for him. Things had obviously gotten stale with Steve Williams, and Joe LaCava, an experience caddie whom Tiger knows and respects, is the perfect replacement. The venue is a great place for him as well. No disrespect to the Frys.com Open, but Tiger wont have to deal with the pressure of a major this week. Nor will he dominate the media coverage. This isnt northern Wisconsin; the Bay Area has a lot of other things going on. Tiger should swinging more comfortably than he has in a long time. Ill be watching three things extra-closely this week that should show if Tigers on the right path. 1. His driver: I want to see him going at the ball hard and not losing balls to the right. 2. His health: He should be as healthy as hes ever going to be. He turns 36 this December (can you believe that?) and it never gets any easier coming back from injury. Basically, hes learning to deal with things that basically hurt all the time. 3. His short game: If hes going to come back, its crucial he look comfortable on and around the greens. We always talk about Phil Mickelsons brilliance in the short game -- and Mickelson is spectacularbut when Tiger is on his game no one comes close to his chipping and pitching. Im not predicting a win. Theres going to be some rusthow could there not bebut I expect him to play well, as well as weve seen in a long time. (The Masters is a special case because hell always be able to compete on that course.) Hes going to hit some loose shotsthats inevitable with a hard swing. The important thing is that he misses correctly. At the height of his game, Tiger could make birdies and pars with his short game from places no one thought possible. His problem this year is that hes been missing in the wrong places, places where he couldnt recover from. Its strange see Tiger at a Fall Series event. In a lot of ways, its like 1996 all over again. His critics in the media and the public arent giving him a free pass anymore. Tiger knows a lot of people are writing him off and I think he feels he has a lot to prove. Ive been skeptical based on what I saw earlier in the year. But this is the perfect scenario: new swing, new caddie, easy tournament. Hes going out there to get his game back. Those of us whove watched him since his junior golf days want to see signs that hes going in the right direction and some flashes of the old Tiger Woods. I dont want to see him hitting houses, making poor chips, and missing four-footers. If that happens again, its time to start really worrying. Tweet

Hot? Na, Tiger and Northern Ireland. Not? Rory, Watney and the LPGA

2011-10-04T15:07:00.001-07:00

HOT 1. Kevin Na. A survivor of a 16 on a par 4 and a near-whiff, he's now a PGA Tour winner. I can't decide if he's the most fragile or the toughest guy in golf. 2. Tiger Woods. Does anybody really care what a Tour pro shoots when he's off-duty? In Tiger's case, yes. The course record at Medalist is intriguing and only serves to ratchet up the hype for his return this week at the Frys.com Open, which will be a veritable Tiger-palooza. And that's just for showing up. Imagine if he wins! 3. Northern Ireland. At this point I'm guessing you could just pull some random guy off the street in Portrush and give him a logoed polo and he would be able to go out and win an important golf tournament. 4. Kenny Perry. The big-hearted country boy has looked adrift on the senior tour, but he got an emotional first win by playing to honor his sister Kay, who died on the eve of the final round. When it was over, all of Franklin, Ky., cried along with KP. 5. Justin Timberlake. He could be squiring starlets or making multi-platinum records, but instead he puts a big effort into a little PGA Tour event, and the worthy cause it supports. Pretty cool. NOT 1. PGA Tour schedulers. It'd be even cooler if the Tour would give JT a decent date in the "regular season" to ensure his involvement and the long-term health of the tourney. I say add Vegas to the desert swing in February and move Pebble to better weather in the summer, but that's just me. 2. Rory McIlroy. Golf's boy king is still trying to build on his U.S. Open breakthrough. On Sunday at the Dunhill he tore up the Old Course for 11 holes to take the lead but then looked strangely tentative coming home, settling for another disappointing near-miss. It's clear Rory can blow away fields when he's on-song. The harder part is learning to win Sunday dogfights. I guess we'll have to be a little more patient. 3. Nick Watney. He was in prime position to become the only three-time winner on Tour and interject himself into the player of the year debate, but he had to settle for just another lucrative week. See, Nick, the better you play the more we expect of you. Just ask Rory. 4. The LPGA. The tour has its best buzz in years from Lexi Thompson's historic victory and an electric Solheim Cup, so of course the Asian swing begins this week, and we won't get Lexi or another domestic event until lateNovember. Oy. 5. Kenny Harms. Kevin Na's poor caddie is compelled to plum-bob on every green for his boss. Even for a six-figure payday I'm not sure I could endure this soul-sucking ritual. Tweet

Hoey holds off McIlroy to win Dunhill Links

2011-10-03T15:10:00.001-07:00

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey edged countrymen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to win the Dunhill Links Championship by two shots on Sunday, continuing his country's recent success in world golf. Hoey, ranked No. 271, lost his three-shot overnight lead early in the final round but regrouped well, birdying three of the last four holes for a 4-under 68. His 22-under total broke the tournament record, set by Lee Westwood eight years ago, by one shot. McIlroy's closing 65 gave him second place - two shots clear of McDowell (69) and Scotland's George Murray (67), who finished tied for third. Hoey's third career title was worth $800,000. But it was the way he held off McIlroy and McDowell - the last two U.S. Open champions - that pleased him most. "They are major champions ... they have been my inspirations," said Hoey, who has struggled to fulfill his potential after winning the British Amateur title in 2001. "It's taken me a long time to kick on. My belief has been high and low but I got my consistency back this week. ... Winning the Dunhill Links, it doesn't get much better." Hoey led or held a share of the lead after every round of this week's prestigious pro-am played over three of Scotland's best courses - St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. "My short game's been the best it's ever been this week," said Hoey, who had a 66 in each of the first three rounds. This was the first-ever Northern Irish 1-2-3 at a European Tour event, just adding to the country's strong run in the sport. McIlroy, McDowell and current British Open champion Darren Clarke each have won a major in the last 15 months. McIlroy, seeking a fourth career win and first since the U.S. Open in June, began the day five shots back of Hoey. But he holed a wedge for an eagle at the par-4 No. 3, sparking a charge to the top. After six holes, McIlroy, McDowell and Hoey were tied at 18 under overcast skies, and McIlroy pulled a shot clear after making birdies at Nos. 7, 9 and 11. By that stage, he was closing in on the course record of 63 he set at the British Open last year. But the 22-year-old McIlroy failed to pick up a shot in his final seven holes and was run down by Hoey, his old playing partner in Belfast and someone he looked up to as a budding amateur. "It's good to see all us boys up there but I'm obviously disappointed it wasn't me that's lifting the trophy," McIlroy said. "But considering that I was 3 over after 11 holes in this tournament, I've come back and played some really good golf. I've still got a few tournaments left this year to try to get a win or two." Like McIlroy, the 15th-ranked McDowell only made one birdie on the back nine, with a host of putts slipping by the cup, but still left St. Andrews happy after finding his form following a poor summer. "Great things are ahead for me. I'm much happier with my game," McDowell said. "But when a guy plays like Michael played down the stretch, you can't have any complaints. No one lost the tournament today, Michael just played fantastic."

Matsuyama repeats as Asian Amateur champion

2011-10-02T15:21:00.001-07:00

SINGAPORE (AP) Hideki Matsuyama of Japan played his final 42 holes without a bogey Sunday and closed with a 5-under 67 to win the Asian Amateur Championship for the second straight year, earning another invitation to Augusta National to play in the Masters. Matsuyama never trailed after the first hole at The Singapore Island Country Club. He had to make par on the 605-yard closing hole for a one-shot victory over Lee Soo-min, who birdied the last hole for a tournament-best 64. A year ago, Matsuyama won by five shots. He was more nervous this time, knowing what was at stake. "At last year's Asian Amateur Championship, I was able to enjoy the tournament because it was my first time and I did not have a lot of pressure," said Matsuyama, a 19-year-old student at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, which caught the brunt of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. "But this time, since I knew that I had to win to play Augusta again, it was extra pressure for me and it is something I've never been through before. "I think it was because I wanted so badly to go back to play Augusta again." Matsuyama tied for 27th at the Masters this year, the only amateur to make the cut. The Japanese amateur wasn't good enough to play in the Asian Amateur Championship when it began in 2009 under the guidance of Augusta National Golf Club and the Royal & Ancient. Matsuyama only got into the tournament last year because as the host country, Japan was allowed a maximum of 10 players. Matsuyama now is No. 4 in the world amateur ranking, and making quite a name for himself. This was the third straight amateur event Matsuyama won this year, following the Japan Collegiate Championship and the World University Championship. Along with getting into the Masters, Matsuyama is exempt into the final stage of British Open qualifying next spring, which will be held in Thailand on the same course where the Asian Amateur Championship will be played in 2012.

Michael Hoey, Graeme McDowell keep good times rolling for Northern Ireland at Dunhill Links

2011-10-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland The Dunhill Links Championship leaderboard looked more like the Northern Irish Open after the conclusion of the third round. Michael Hoey was top of the bill at 18 under par after a 66 at Carnoustie. He'll play in the final group with fellow countryman Graeme McDowell, who is three shots behind after a 67 at St. Andrews. Rory McIlroy is at 13 under par after a 66 over the Old Course on a day with hardly a breath of wind that rendered the grand old lady of Fife toothless. She coughed up two 63s, by Luke Donald and Simon Dyson, which equaled McIlroy's course record set at the 2010 British Open, and a 64 from Padraig Harrington, which propelled him into contention at 13 under par. Donald and Dyson are 13 under, Louis Oosthuizen is 14 under, Masters champion Charl Schwartzel 12 under, Lee Westwood 11 under, and there was even smile from Colin Montgomerie, who bogeyed the 17th but then had to pose on the Swilken Bridge for the obligatory photo with his amateur partner Michael Douglas. Monty shot a 66 to be 10 under par and at the back of the stellar pack chasing Hoey. "So you want to talk about Northern Ireland's continued domination of world golf," McDowell said, chuckling after his round. "It's unfathomable what's been happening with three majors champions in me, Rory and Darren. When you've got Rory coming out of your country that's a pretty good start and Darren's always had the talent." But just what the heck are they drinking up there in Ulster? Do they have some kind of secret elixir that is giving their golfers superpowers? If they do, they're not telling. "There's nothing special in the water up there in Northern Ireland," McDowell said. Whatever it is they should distil it, bottle it and sell it. McDowell and Hoey played in amateur teams together for Ulster and Ireland and used to hang out as teenagers at Royal Portrush. Hoey, the 2001 British Amateur Champion, won the Madeira Islands Open earlier this year, but he was supposed to challenging for major trophies along with McDowell and McIlroy after playing alongside McDowell and Donald in the 2001 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team that beat the United States at Sea Island, Ga. Now at age 32 Hoey has his chance to graduate to the big leagues at the home of golf, but his mental frailties in the spotlight are well-known. Hoey is honest enough to admit it himself. "Just been really hard on myself," Hoey said. "Trying to relax is obviously what I need to do. Golf is very mental." McDowell said that Hoey will be tough to catch on Sunday at St Andrews. "He's ice cold," McDowell said. "He doesn't get up and doesn't get down. You always thought at 18 that he was going to be a world beater but he never really kicked on." Talking up Hoey was typical of the always-classy McDowell, but don't think for one second he's ready to wave his playing partner through to the finishing line. Especially since he's been staying away from one of his favorite pubs this week. "I've always felt this is a tournament I can win," said McDowell, who lost a playoff here to Stephen Gallacher in 2004. "I've always said keeping out of the Jigger Inn is birdie number one." After the hangover he has endured since his U.S. Open victory last year, McDowell was delighted to be back on a leaderboard among the game's elite. "It's great to be going out on a golf course like St. Andrews with a chance to win," he said. McIlroy also claimed to have no idea why Northern Ireland's golfers have the Midas touch at the moment. "I don't know if we are feeding off on another or whatever it is," McIlroy said. "I don't think it's going to last forever. I hope it does. It's great to see Michael up there and great to see G-Mac on a bit of form as well." McIlroy has been carrying around a secret weapon in attempt to keep his swing sharp. Not so much a comfort blanket as a comfort club. His coach Michael Bannon has given him a cut-down wedge that McIlroy said he swings in front of mirrors in hotels. "It just gives me a chance to swing inside so at least I'm swinging a club and developing some sort of feeling if I'm not hitting balls," McIlroy said. "I've had it for the last couple of years. I've been carrying it around with me. It's not like I go to the toilet and bring the club with me." McIlroy has to make up five shots on Hoey but believes he still has a chance. "I definitely feel there's a low score out there," he said. "You can shoot 62 or 63." But if the Northern Irish are planning yet another celebration at a seemingly never-ending party, then they had better beware Dyson, who was in a buoyant mood after that course-record-equaling 63. The Englishman has won twice this season and when it seemed all of Ireland gathered at the Irish Open in July to welcome their major heroes Clarke, McIlroy and McDowell and to cheer on a home winner, guess who the party pooper was? Yep, Dyson. Tweet

Johnson not bitter after losing caddie to Woods

2011-09-30T15:22:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-29T15:12:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-28T15:50:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-27T15:16:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-26T15:18:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-25T15:11:00.001-07:00

DUNSANY, Ireland (AP) Europe's Laura Davies overtook Annika Sorenstam to become the all-time Solheim Cup points scorer with 24Â½ 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 24Â½ 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

2011-09-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-23T15:18:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-22T15:13:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-21T15:16:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-20T15:22:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-19T15:16:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-18T15:16:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-16T15:16:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-15T15:19:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-14T15:19:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-13T15:22:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-12T15:14:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-11T15:19:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-10T15:24:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-09T15:14:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-07T15:17:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-06T15:21:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-05T15:10:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-04T15:14:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-03T15:20:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-02T15:17:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

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.

Tiger honored at being Presidents Cup pick

2011-08-31T15:23:00.001-07:00

VERONA, N.Y. (AP) Tiger Woods is honored to be a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup and believes he merited the selection. The former No. 1 player was at a charity event hosted by his college roommate Wednesday when he nodded yes after being asked if he thought he deserved the selection a week ago by U.S. captain Fred Couples. "I haven't played. Fred iterated that he wanted me on the Presidents Cup team and he wanted me to play," Woods said before teeing off at Notay Begay III's tournament. "He's the captain. It's his prerogative of who he picks. They wanted me on the team and I'm honored to be a part of the team. It's a wonderful mix of younger guys and older veterans. I also wanted to play and go ahead and test what I've been working on." Woods has been out of golf for much of the summer, missing two majors. He has played only eight PGA Tour events this year because of injuries to his left knee and Achilles tendon. Couples said he wanted Woods to play more before the Australian Open in November, a week before the Presidents Cup in Melbourne, and he's scheduled to play the Frys.com Open in California the first week of October. It will be his first time competing in the PGA Tour's Fall Series as he tries to get his game ready for the Presidents Cup. The Frys.com Open is Oct. 6-9 at CordeValle Golf Club, about 45 minutes south of his alma mater, Stanford. Woods went four months without completing a tournament - from the Masters in April to the Bridgestone Invitational in August - so he could make sure his injuries were fully healed. He played at Firestone and said that his leg felt as good as it had in a long time, but his results have raised questions about his game. He tied for 37th at Firestone, then missed the cut at the PGA Championship, the first time he finished outside the top 100 at a major. When he plays the Frys.com Open, it will be his first event in six weeks. "I've been hurt the majority of the year and haven't quite gotten to be able to (get) the reps that I need to do what (swing coach) Sean (Foley) wants me to do," Woods said. "We were right on track at Augusta, but unfortunately I got hurt there and then it was a huge setback. We're just trying to get back to where I was at Augusta, and it's coming around. I just need more reps."

Johnson beats the rain and the field at Barclays

2011-08-30T15:26:00.001-07:00

EDISON, N.J. (AP) The way Dustin Johnson began the final round of The Barclays, he figured the only thing that could keep him from winning was the rain. Needing a good start, he opened with back-to-back birdies. In a bunker for the first time all week, he holed the 85-foot shot for eagle on No. 4 to take the lead. Even a wild tee shot on the par-5 fifth landed in trampled grass with a clear shot at the green. And then it started raining. Hard. The Barclays, already reduced to 54 holes because of Hurricane Irene, would have reverted to a 36-hole tournament if the rain arrived early and kept the third round Saturday from finishing, making Matt Kuchar the winner. "The way I got started, I was hoping that we were going to keep on playing," Johnson said. The rain stopped. Johnson kept right on going. He shot 29 on the front nine for the second straight day - he played the front in 17-under par for the week - to close with a 6-under 65 and win the opening FedEx Cup playoff event by two shots over Kuchar. Johnson didn't take the lead for good until Kuchar, who won The Barclays a year ago on a different course, three-putted from long range just off the green on consecutive holes on the back nine to make bogeys. He closed with a 68. "I had the two basic three-putts and for me, that seems just very uncharacteristic," Kuchar said. "I felt like I was just giving shots away." Johnson, who moved to No. 4 in the world, finished at 19-under 194 for his first win of the year and fifth of his career. He became the first player since Tiger Woods to go straight from college and win in each of his first four years on the PGA Tour. When the season began in Kapalua, Johnson was asked what players should expect from Woods in 2011. Johnson replied that he hoped to see Woods play well, but that it "doesn't bother me. I'm still going to win." Johnson just didn't think it would take him until the first playoff event to hoist a trophy. "I was never concerned - more frustrated than anything," he said. "Because I felt like I played some really good golf this year, just have not been able to quite get it done. And it wasn't that my golf game was bad. Just the putts I needed to make, I just had not been able to make them. And this week, I didn't do anything crazy with the putter. I just made the ones I was supposed to." He became the first player since Phil Mickelson to win two 54-hole events. Mickelson won the rain-shortened BellSouth Classic in 2000 and 2005. Johnson previously won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2009 when the final round Sunday was washed out. This one was different. Johnson knew Saturday was the final round, and he could only hope the round would be completed. "We got lucky," he said. "The weather held up for us long enough." Johnson wasn't the only big winner on Saturday. Ian Poulter birdied four of his last five holes for a 64, making him one of eight players who moved inside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings and advance to the second playoff event next week outside Boston. William McGirt, the last of the 125 players who qualified for the playoffs, birdied the 17th hole that pushed him to No. 96. Padraig Harrington went from No. 124 to No. 80 with his tie for 13th. And then there was Ernie Els. He would have been eliminated had the tournament been cut short to 36 holes. Els had a 67 to from 118th in the standings to No. 99. "You're trying to survive. It's desperation," Els said. "It's sadistic. In a way it's fun, if you're into that (stuff)." Johnson goes atop the FedEx Cup standings as the four-tournament race begins for the $10 million prize. The course was so soft and vulnerable to low scoring that Brandt Snedeker made an early run at 59 when he birdied his opening five holes and went out in 29. He was slowed by a bogey on the 14th and wound up with a 61 to tie for third with Vijay Singh, who had a 68. Kuchar and Johnson, however, separated themselves quickly with a riveting front nine. Johnson opened with back-to-back birdies to briefly take the lead, and then the fun began. Kuchar birdied the par-3 third for a two-shot swing when Johnson missed the green. Johnson responded with a two-shot swing of his own by driving into the bunker on the 328-yard fourth and holing out for eagle, while Kuchar had to scramble for par. They matched birdies on the fifth, seventh and ninth greens, and that's where Johnson showed that extra work on his putter was paying off. He holed a 25-foot birdie on the seventh when Kuchar already was in tight, then a tricky 12-foot putt on the ninth after Kuchar had laid back and spun his approach into 4 feet. Kuchar caught Johnson with a 15-foot birdie on the 11th, but it unraveled after that. Kuchar decided to lay up on the par-5 12th - Johnson was in the rough and had no choice - figuring that his wedge game would lead to birdie. But he was on a slope in between wedge, an awkward shot to a tough pin, and his shot landed in the middle and spun back off the green. He rolled his putt some 6 feet past the hole and missed the next one for bogey to fall one shot behind. On the next hole, Kuchar again had a length putt from just off the green and rammed them past the hole and off the green on the other side to make another bogey. Just like that, he was two shots behind. Against Johnson, it was hard to make that up. "Sunday tendencies are to come up a little short, and I gave it a little extra," Kuchar said. "Very frustrating because I feel like that's the strong part of my game." Crews had removed the scoreboards before the last round because of the approaching hurricane, although it didn't matter to the guys trying to win the tournament. They knew were they stood. It was farther down the list, where players were trying to get into the top 100 to keep chasing the $10 million FedEx Cup, where it mattered. McGirt had some help from his wife, who was in the gallery. From the 17th fairway, she flashed "101" with her fingers, to indicate where he was projected to finish in the standings. He pulled 7-iron and produced the "best swing I made all week, bar none" to 5 feet for birdie. Now he gets to go through this roller coast again next week at the Deutsche Bank Championship. "Heck yeah, man," McGirt said. "It's the playoffs."

Wie tied for lead in Canadian Women's Open

2011-08-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

MIRABEL, Quebec (AP) Defending champion Michelle Wie shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday in the Canadian Women's Open for a share of the third-round lead with Ai Miyazato and Tiffany Joh. The winner last year at St. Charles in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Wie is trying to become the first player to win the national championship two years in a row since Pat Bradley in 1985-86. Joh had a 65, and Miyazato shot a 71 to match Wie at 12-under 204 at Hillsdale Golf Club. Angela Stanford (66) and Brittany Lincicome (69) were a stroke back, and Cristie Kerr (69), Jiyai Shin (69), Na Yeon Choi (69), Becky Morgan (70) and Song-Hee Kim (71) followed at 10 under. There was some doubt that the final round can be completed before Hurricane Irene hits the area Sunday. "It's something everyone's going to play under," Wie said. "I'm kind of expecting the worst. But whether conditions are good or bad you still have to play well and there are still players to beat and things you have to do. I don't think it really makes that much difference." In a bid to beat the storm, starting times were moved up 90 minutes to 7 a.m., the players were grouped in threesomes instead of twosomes and will go off both the first and 10th tees. If the fourth round can't be completed, a three-way playoff will be held among the 54-hole leaders. "It's a pretty quick turnaround, but I kind of like it," Wie said. "It gives me less time to think about things." Joh had the best round of the day. "It's really exciting for me because coming into this year I had conditional status and I didn't even know how many events I was going to play," Joh said. "Just having a chance to contend at one, that's what dreams are made of. I just really excited. I'm going in with no expectations because I've never been in this position anywhere. Whoever I'm paired with, I'm sure I'm going to learn loads from them." Miyazato is ready for anything. "Either way, we need to finish the tournament," she said. "So I'll just try to play my style of golf no matter what happens. I grew up in an area that was windy, so I actually like playing in windy conditions, but if it rains it will definitely be difficult. But because I'm used to those situations, I don't think there will be any problem keeping my tempo." Maude-Aimee Leblanc was the low Canadian at 8 under after a 67. "Coming into the tournament, I liked the way I was playing and hitting the ball, so I felt I had as good a chance as anyone," said Leblanc, from Sherbrooke. Jocelyne Bourassa (1973 La Canadienne) is the only Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event in Canada.

Johnson beats the rain and the field at Barclays

2011-08-28T15:18:00.001-07:00

Cantlay advances, Uihlein falls in US Amateur

2011-08-27T15:23:00.001-07:00

ERIN, Wis. (AP) UCLA star Patrick Cantlay won two matches Friday at Erin Hills to advance to the U.S. Amateur semifinals, while defending champion Peter Uihlein dropped out in the quarterfinals. Cantlay beat England's Tom Lewis 3 and 1 in the round of 16, then edged Max Buckley in 19 holes in the afternoon quarterfinals. Jordan Russell beat Uihlein 2 and 1 to set up a semifinal match with Cantlay. In the other quarterfinals, Kelly Kraft beat Patrick Rodgers 6 and 4, and England's Jack Senior edged Jordan Spieth 1-up. After Russell knocked off Uihlein, the Oklahoma State star told the Texas A&M player that he was the most underrated player in college golf. "That's pretty cool if he thinks that," said Russell. "I think I'm maybe a little underrated, but I kind of like it that way. I have my own motivation with that. It kind of keeps me going. So, I'm fine with that" Uihlein was trying to become the first player to successfully defend his title since Tiger Woods won three straight from 1994-96. "I made too many pars. I only birdied the first hole (as did Russell)," Uihlein said. "Jordan played too solid to beat him with pars. I didn't hit it close enough to put pressure on him and I didn't make any putts going in." Russell was 2-up after six holes, but Uihlein rallied to tie the match with a par 4 on the 12th hole. Russell won the next two holes and Uihlein never recovered. "I kind of got the momentum early," Russell said. "He kind of swung it, but I made a 60-footer on 13, so that kind of flipped it right there, and I made birdie on the next hole." Cantlay, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, won the final two holes to tie Lewis, then won with a par on the first extra hole. It was the second extra-hole match for Cantlay in the tournament. "I don't know if it's helping me," Cantlay said, "but I've had to do it. It's nice to know I can hit good shots coming down to the wire, but I'd love to hit good shots earlier in the match and have the lead." Senior has a chance to join Harold Hilton (1911) as the only English winners. "It would mean a lot to me," Senior said. "I'm just taking every shot as it comes. I'm not thinking too far ahead." Spieth, a two-time U.S. Junior champion from Dallas, led most of the match and was 2-up after winning the par 12th with a birdie. They traded the lead several times and were tied going into the final hole, which Senior won with a par. "He played great all day, but unfortunately made some mistakes (on the final hole)," Senior said.

Foster takes clubhouse lead at foggy Gleneagles

2011-08-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) England's Mark Foster shot a 6-under 66 to lead the Johnnie Walker Championship after an incomplete first round full of fog and swarming wasps. The start was delayed by 2 hours, 40 minutes because of reduced visibility, and 51 players will have to complete their first round early Friday. Foster held a one-shot lead over Spain's Ignacio Garrido and Argentina's Tano Goya. Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, Ireland's Peter Lawrie and Chile's Felipe Aguilar were 4 under. Foster has held the lead, or a share of the lead, at various stages of three tournaments this season - the French Open, the BMW International Open and the Scottish Open - but never managed to back up his win at the 2003 Dunhill Championship in South Africa. "That could have been a special first nine holes because I three-putted the par-5 No. 16," said Foster, who is likely to make the Britain & Ireland team for next month's Vivendi Seve Trophy in Paris. "I just have a bit more belief in myself this year. It sounds strange but I have stopped trying to win. I've stopped pitching up on a Tuesday thinking about winning - I just want to be the best I can for the week." Foster was among a number of players affected by swarms of wasps and hover flies across the course. "Two of the three (in his group) backed off before every shot," he said.

Player of the year race should soon be decided as playoffs begin this week

2011-08-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

The FedEx Cup "playoffs" are once again upon us. No use kvetching about the confusing nature of the points system that's sooo 2008. In this post-Tiger world, the Cup assumes even more importance. A season of parity has thus far lacked definition. Four first-time major champions, two world No. 1s who are majorless, a bumper crop of rookies who have broken through with wins it's been a fun, frantic year, but we need the Cup to tie together all the storylines. Four big-time tournaments in five weeks will, hopefully, leave us with not only some indelible highlights but also a consensus player of the year. There's a good chance the POY will come out of the featured pairing of the Barclays first two rounds, the threeball of Luke Donald, Keegan Bradley, and, in a supporting role, Phil Mickelson. Donald arrives comfortably ensconced at No. 1 in the world, with a Tour-best 10 top-10s (in a mere 14 starts) and leading in scoring average and money while sitting fourth in FedEx Cup points. Donald has three worldwide victories this year, but only one has come on the PGA Tour his signature domination of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. But that was way back in February. The tidy Englishman needs a strong FedEx Cup not only to bolster his POY candidacy but also to keep alive his pursuit of history. Hes trying to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup and the European tour's Race to Dubai in the same season. Donald has a healthy lead in the Dubai standings over second-place Charl Schwartzel. Right now the fresh-faced Bradley probably has a stronger case to be voted POY by his peers. He's certainly captured the imagination of the public. "Today a kid asked me to sign his forehead," he said on Tuesday. "That was weird." En route to the Barclays, Bradley, 25 , stopped by New York City to hang with the golf team at his alma mater, St. Johns. He teed it up with the boys and even spent a night at the team's brick "golf house," kicking an undergrad out of his own bed. A large, rowdy contingent of Johnnies will be enlivening Plainfield Country Club, which is an easy drive down the New Jersey Turnpike from New York. The win at the PGA made Bradley a star his newest text buddy is his boyhood idol Tom Brady but even before that breakthrough he was having a very solid season, with nine other top-25 finishes , most significantly a playoff win at the Byron Nelson Classic. Among this season's multiple winners bonus points if you can name Mark Wilson, Bubba Watson, Nick Watney, and Steve Stricker Bradley is the only one with a major championship victory. Fifth in FedEx points, he can be golf's big story of 2011 with a rousing Cup. Bradley is also at the center of one of the season's primary subplots, the rise of the long putter. Five of the top 17 in the Cup standings use an oversized wand, and the numbers are going up seemingly by the week. Stately old Plainfield is only 6,964 yards; its primary defenses are the wicked greens, multi-tiered and very "slopey," to use Donald's term. "You have to hit it below the hole or else you could make yourself look silly," he said. With putting paramount, the bellies and the broomhandles will only get more attention. Jim Furyk, the defending FedEx Cup champion, is one of the many players who have recently resorted to a belly putter. The question of whether or not anchoring a putter against one's body confers an advantage is gaining momentum, and Furyk addressed it on Tuesday. "Ten years ago, no one ever went to the belly putter unless they couldn't putt," he said. "So I didn't really think of it as unfair. I thought of it as desperation." Now it's considered an easier way to putt under pressure, thanks in part to Bradley's heroics. Says Webb Simpson, who uses a belly putter and comes into the Cup third in the points standings after winning the Wyndham Championship last week:"Guys are talking about banning the putters. I think it's pretty crazy. Because if it was so easy, why isn't everybody using it?" If an oversized putter helps propel a player to the Cup's $10 million first prize, expect the blowback to intensify. Tweet

PGA Tour Confidential: Playoff Storylines

2011-08-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

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. TIGERLESS PLAYOFFS: WHAT, IF ANYTHING, SHOULD WE LOOK FORWARD TO? Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group : Hello everyone, and welcome to the final PGA Tour Confidential of the regular PGA Tour season. Next week the FedEx Cup playoffs kick off with the Barclays. I'm really curious to see how the pros fare at one of my favorite courses, Plainfield (N.J.) Country Club, a delightful Donald Ross gem, but I'm also interested to see what the level of interest will be without Tiger Woods in the field. What's your guess? And are there other storylines we should be watching? Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated : This is the opportunity for a young gun to separate himself from the field. Maybe Rickie Fowler breaks through. Perhaps Webb Simpson follows up with another victory. Or maybe Keegan Bradley makes a statement for Player of the Year honors. Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : We're used to life without Tiger. Interest will be high because all the other players we care about will be there. And a lot is up for grabs, not least player of the year. Stephanie Wei, contributor, SI Golf+ : When you say "we," do you mean those of us who cover golf? Because Joe Sports Fan was planning to watch because he wanted to see Tiger, but now he'll enjoy one of the last weekends of summer. Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : I think it's a tough sell without Tiger. The format was designed to compel the big boys to play more. Even a diminished Tiger is still the biggest selling point in the game. The TV ratings will tell the tale. Shipnuck : Sure, having Tiger would help. But this season (and last) has helped wean golf fans. There are more guys to root for now than before. Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine : Other than player of the year which is pretty meaningless because McIlroy's not eligible it's hard to see many storylines for the FedEx Cup playoffs. But consecutive events with strong fields always build interest and momentum. As Shipnuck said, everyone's gotten used to the Tiger-less Tour. Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated : It's hard to gauge the interest levels. I've heard from two regular golf fans who said they have zero interest in watching golf the rest of this year. The tournaments are always interesting because they have good fields and appealing courses, but I'm not sure how fired up the average fan will be. Pretty sure the folks in N.J. will be very excited to see the pros tackle Plainfield. (Read Gary Van Sickle's mailbag and ask him a question.) David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com : The interest among golf fans will be high because plenty of good players will be on hand and the pros will love Plainfield, but the FedEx Cup was not created for golf fans. It was concocted by the PGA Tour in order to create buzz among general sports fans. With pre-season football in the air and Tiger not playing, those fans aren't going to tune in. Van Sickle : If Phil Mickelson wins or contends in any of the events, TV will be saved. Dusek : Agreed. When Tiger's controversy broke, Tim Finchem told every person holding a TV camera that the PGA Tour's ratings were always good and that when Tiger played they spiked. The FedEx Cup Playoffs without Tiger will give us a chance to see that theory put to the test. Wei : I'll be watching to see how many players tinker with a belly putter. First, Adam Scott won the Bridgestone with the broomstick putter. Then Keegan Bradley drained a bunch of clutch putts with a belly putter to capture the PGA Championship as a rookie and become the first player to win a major with a long putter. And now, Webb Simpson takes the Wyndham Championship with a belly, too. Shipnuck : Yes, the disease is spreading. Seemed like everyone in contention at Greensboro had a long wand. Godich : I went to a long putter a few months back, and though I have played little since, I absolutely love it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Herre : You think we'll see more belly putters on the local, amateur level? Personally, I could never get the feel for one, and traveling with the thing was a hassle. Hack : It's such a bad look, isn't it? I'm waiting for someone to walk onto a practice green with a long putter anchored between his teeth. The USGA missed the boat on the long putters. Wei : It was already bad after the Masters. When I showed up to the practice green at Hilton Head two weeks later, I couldn't believe how many guys were messing around with a belly. Ernie finally put aside his ego and switched. Bill Haas and Camilo Villegas both used one that week for the first time. I can't wait to see how many there are at Plainfield! Van Sickle : These are young guys using the belly, not desperate old guys who need a putting crutch. I don't think a groundswell of ams will switch, but the topic is probably worth researching. Dusek : If weekend players get used to seeing pros winning with belly putters, they'll be more apt to try one. The tough part is getting the right fit for a belly putter because, well, there are a lot of different sized bellies out there. Van Sickle : The phenomenon is just a sign that the stigma is gone. Damon says it's a bad look, but I think the percentage of traditionalists who would agree with him is shrinking by the year. Now, if we can just get them to quit thinking rangefinders are a bad look, we can make some progress and speed up play. Dusek : Charles Howell told me in Atlanta that he's never seen someone who used a belly putter and putted poorly, which is one of the reasons he converted. Godich : Matt Kuchar was one of the top putters on Tour in 2010, and even he switched. Van Sickle : As a long-time user of The Claw grip, I can vouch for the fact that golfers do what they have to do to make putts. I wonder how many players on the AJGA circuit and junior golf are using belly putters or long putters? That would indicate a possible trend. Hack : I don't recall seeing a long wand on my trip to the junior circuit last year. Those kids were fearless and played fast, God love 'em. Godich : They played fast because they knew the rules officials would enforce the slow-play rules. Dusek : Belly putters are all over the Nationwide Tour, which makes a lot of sense. If they really are beneficial, then the guys who are trying to earn a PGA Tour card would be the most motivated to try one. Godich : The difference in ball-striking between a PGA Tour player and a Nationwide player ain't much. It's mostly the putting, along with the mental aspect, of course. Tell us what you think: Is the FedEx Cup going to be interesting despite Tiger's absence? Will you watch? Tweet

James Nitties wins Midwest Classic

2011-08-23T15:21:00.001-07:00

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) Australia's James Nitties won the Midwest Classic on Saturday for his first Nationwide Tour title, shooting with a 6-under 65 for a five-stroke victory. Nitties earned $99,000 to jump from 53rd to 12th on the money list with $150,537, putting him in position to earn a 2012 PGA Tour card as top-25 finisher on the final list. "I've been waiting for this one for a while," said Nitties, who spent the past two seasons on the PGA Tour. "It seemed like everything went my way this week. It was my day today. There's still a lot of golf left to play this season, but this puts me in good position to get back to the tour." He opened with rounds of 65, 63 and 65 and finished at 26-under 258 at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate. "Usually I'm a streaky putter," Nitties said. "I'll putt good for one round and then not hole anything the rest of the week. This week, I actually holed the putts I should hole and then made the most of my opportunities." Jonas Blixt (66) and Nick Flanagan (68) tied for second, and J.J. Killeen (70), Jason Kokrak (65) and Josh Geary (69) followed at 20 under. Killeen was trying to win for the third time in four weeks.

Simpson claims first PGA Tour win at Wyndham

2011-08-22T15:16:00.001-07:00

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) Webb Simpson grew up in North Carolina, and his favorite memory of the Wyndham Championship was caddying for Neal Lancaster as a teenager during a pro-am. That might change now that he's won the tournament. Simpson claimed his first PGA Tour title Sunday, shooting a 3-under 67 to win by three strokes. The 26-year-old Raleigh native finished at 18-under 262 and collected $936,000 in the tournament about a 30-mile drive from the Wake Forest campus where he was a college star. "I really couldn't think of a better place to win than here in Greensboro," Simpson said. George McNeill (64) was at 15 under, with Tommy Gainey (69) another stroke back in the final event before the PGA Tour playoffs. Carl Pettersson (69), Vijay Singh (65), Jerry Kelly (65), Kyung-tae Kim (66) and Charles Howell III (67) finished at 13 under at Sedgefield Country Club. Simpson said his first visit to the Greensboro-based tournament came when he was 16. His father brought him to the event's former home across town at Forest Oaks Country Club to caddie for Lancaster during the Wednesday pro-am. "That was probably the most fun 18 holes I've ever been a part of," Simpson said. His final 18 of this tournament were marked by steady, bogey-free play and a strong finish marked by consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. After taking the lead during Round 3 with a late five-hole stretch of four birdies and an eagle, Simpson opened his final round with eight straight pars before moving to 16 under with a birdie on the par-4 ninth. He stayed there until late in the day. Birdies on the par-5 15th and the par-3 16th gave him a three-shot lead with two holes to go. "When I made the putt on 15, I asked my caddie for the first time all day, 'Where do we stand?' and he said, 'We're two ahead right now,'" Simpson said. "I knew I needed to play solid golf on the last three holes, and to birdie 16 was so huge. ... I knew I had a three-shot lead on 18, and as soon as I hit the ball in play, I knew it was probably over." McNeill made a late charge, with the former Florida State player moving to 15 under with a birdie on No. 17, his sixth birdie of the round. But all he could do after that was hope for a few late bogeys from Simpson. "Honestly, I thought it was going to be a lot lower," McNeill said of the winning score. "I can only control myself. I can't control what everybody else does. I'm very happy with the way I hit it, the way I played, the way I putted." Several players with strong Atlantic Coast Conference ties played pivotal roles during the fourth round at the country club where the ACC was founded in 1953 - and in a college-centric region where school ties run deep. Simpson was the ACC's player of the year for the Demon Deacons in 2008. McNeill was an all-conference player for the Seminoles in the late 1990s. And Pettersson grew up in Greensboro, played at North Carolina State, serves on this tournament's board of directors, won it in 2008 and made the daily 70-mile commute from his home in Raleigh. "I'm disappointed. I'm a competitor," Pettersson said. "I wanted to win this one badly, but Webb outplayed us all." Pettersson turned in perhaps the most remarkable birdie of the tournament on the par-4 first hole. After sending his drive well wide of the fairway and into a flower pot, he wound up chipping in from about 55 feet. Gainey, a South Carolina native known as "Tommy Two Gloves" because he wears them on both hands, led or shared the lead after each of the first two rounds. After falling off the pace with two bogeys and a double bogey midway through the round, he reeled off four consecutive birdies on Nos. 12-15 to climb back in it. The focus this week wasn't solely on the leaders, but on the names moving up and down the FedEx Cup points list. The Wyndham annually marks the last chance for players to claim spots in the playoffs, and some big names came to Greensboro hoping to play their way in. Padraig Harrington, who called off a family vacation so he could try to escape the playoff bubble, finished at 6 under and jumped from No. 130 to No. 124. The top 125 qualify for The Barclays later this week in New Jersey. Ernie Els, who entered at No. 126, made it into the playoff field despite shooting a final-round 72. His 8 under finish pushed him to 118th. "You don't know in these playoffs," Els said. "I've got to play good golf though. I played really good the first two days. I'd like to get that back." Among those who didn't make it: Justin Leonard missed a 13-foot putt on the 18th, and that left him at No. 126. "To try and wait until this week to make it through is just - you know," Leonard said. "I mean, come on. I had 25 other weeks to play like this."

Lundberg takes lead midway through Czech Open

2011-08-21T15:19:00.001-07:00

CELADNA, Czech Republic (AP) Sweden's Mikael Lundberg completed a 4-under 68 on Saturday in the Czech Open to take a one-stroke lead after the rain-delayed second round. Lundberg birdied the final hole to reach 8 under at Prosper Golf Resort. Spain's Jose Manuel Lara was second. He shot a 68 on Friday. Englishmen Oliver Fisher and Gary Boyd and Ireland's Damien McGrane were 6 under.

Gainey takes 3-shot lead at Wyndham Championship

2011-08-20T15:24:00.001-07:00

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) For all that Tommy Gainey says has gone wrong in the Wyndham Championship, he must be doing something right. His tee shots have been rocky, his irons have given him trouble, he's fighting a nagging wrist injury - and the South Carolina player called Tommy Two Gloves has one of the best two-round scores in the history of the tournament. Gainey shot a 5-under 65 on Friday to reach 12-under 128 and take a three-stroke lead in the final event before the start of the PGA Tour's postseason. He shared the first-round lead with Jeff Quinney, then had six birdies in polishing off the second-best 36-hole score in tournament history. Ernie Els (66), Webb Simpson (65), Stuart Appleby (67) and Daniel Summerhays (65) were 9 under, and Jim Furyk (67), Alexandre Rocha (66), Paul Casey (67) and Retief Goosen (65) were another stroke back. After making five birdies and an eagle a day earlier to match his career best with a 63, Gainey said he was "going to light it up" against the fresh greens he would face Friday morning. It didn't happen quite like that, but he did turn in another solid round that kept him in contention for his first PGA Tour victory. Starting on the back nine, Gainey had his first bogey of the tournament on the par-4 11th. Then, he warmed up. He birdied four of his final nine holes and closed his round with consecutive birdies, rolling in a 13-foot putt on No. 9 to finish. A sprained left wrist he sustained hitting out of the rough last month in the Canadian Open has made it tougher to keep his tee shots in the fairways and hampered his work with the irons. "It's just hard to make birdies when you keep putting yourself ... in the rough," Gainey said. "It's not high, but it's thick. Just settles straight down, and you've just got to go after it, and the harder you swing at it to get it out, just the more shock that goes into the wrist." Still, only Carl Pettersson, at 125 in 2008, has been better than Gainey through 36 holes at Donald Ross-designed Sedgefield Country Club. "I haven't really accomplished anything in two days," Gainey said. "The only thing I've accomplished is, I've set myself up in good shape going into the weekend. But, still, there's a lot that can happen in one day ... but two days, that's like an eternity in a golf tournament. I'm trying to do the same thing I did these first two days tomorrow." Will MacKenzie began the day four strokes off the pace, but moved up the leaderboard with eagles on both of the course's par-5 holes, Nos. 5 and 15, during his 65. The one-time prodigy from Greenville, N.C., is trying to reclaim his PGA Tour card after losing it last year, and the Wyndham represents one of his last chances to do that. "For me to get my tour card back some possible way, through (the) Nationwide Tour or just have a freak week, obviously I'm going to have to have a humongous week," MacKenzie said. "I can't be that top 25 guy and string it together. I've only got here and maybe another event, if I'm lucky, so I'm going to have to win or come in second." Quinney, who has conditional status on the tour, is facing a similarly desperate situation, playing for both his card and a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He arrived at No. 215 in the standings and needed a high finish to crack the top 125 and make the playoffs, but he slipped off the pace after his triple bogey on the par-4 11th. Numerous others are playing for their more immediate futures. The field is littered with players trying to play their way off the bubble and into golf's postseason, which begins next week at The Barclays in New Jersey. Among those who made it to the weekend: Padraig Harrington, No. 130 on the points list, birdied two of the final four holes for a 68 to make the cut of 3 under. No. 121 Heath Slocum and No. 125 Camilo Villegas shot 64s, with Slocum's round highlighted by streaks of three and four birdies. "Look at the order of names, everybody around me seems to be in the same position with me," Harrington said. "Obviously, I'm going to (need to) have a good weekend in order to get through." Els, at No. 126, charged up the leaderboard with three birdies in a late five-hole span. "I've got quite a large goal for me this week, and you know, I'm feeling like, fine, my game is turning around a little bit," Els said. And while Derek Lamely didn't make the cut and won't make the playoffs, the 31-year-old is leaving Sedgefield with quite the parting gift: a lifetime of vacations at Wyndham properties for his hole-in-one on the 165-yard 16th. Tweet

A college degree may up your starting salary, but it won't take strokes off your score

2011-08-19T15:12:00.001-07:00

The current thinking in America suggests that acquiring a college education is critical to success, but the truth is that the young superstars of golf are coming from everywhere in the world except the United States college golf programs. There are two major problems with college golf: The NCAA restricts how much golf student-athletes can play, and with a few exceptions, college coaching is just not as good as the instruction that these players would get as touring pros. Look at some of the top golfers from around the world: Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel, Ryo Ishikawa, Matteo Manassero, Jason Day. What do they have in common? None of them played college golf. While their American counterparts are playing an NCAA-restricted schedule, these international players are focusing on their games 24/7/365. Jordan Spieth, the 18-year-old who's already made the cut twice at the Byron Nelson, is going to the University of Texas in the fall, but you can't tell me he'll be a better golfer in four years than if he turned pro now. Rickie Fowler left college after two years and his game is immeasurably better than it would have been if he had stayed in school. Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar have had excellent pro careers after college golf, but that era is over. The game is global now, and the competition is more intense than ever. If we want Americans to stay at the elite level of the game, we need to look at how other countries produce championship-caliber golfers. Many have national programs to get kids started, but none of them has a college golf system that prevents their best players from playing as much as they need to become great players. Professional sports are getting younger, and golf is no exception. The American college system creates players who join the Tour at age 22 and finally acquire the experience and know-how to win in their late 20s. At that point, they are 10 years behind the competition. The need to have a fallback plan B (a diploma) in case of failure is holding players back from developing a game based on the intense need to succeed. Instead, their game is based on hoping and wishing and trying to play well. Tweet

Villegas, Els, Harrington among names on the bubble for playoffs

2011-08-18T15:23:00.001-07:00

Camilo Villegas won the last two playoff events of 2008, the BMW and the Tour Championship, but golf's onetime Next Big Thing is the Bubble Boy at this week's Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. At 125th in FedEx Cup points, Villegas can't afford to slip even one spot or he won't qualify for the mega-bucks, four-week FedEx Cup playoff series, which begins with the Barclays in Edison, N.J., next week. At least Villegas has plenty of company. Tiger Woods is already out of the playoffs; he's 129th and not playing this week. Others find themselves in need of a good finish in Greensboro, lest their season end earlier than they'd hoped. Ernie Els is 126th, and will tee off No. 10 at Sedgefield with Villegas and Cameron Beckman at 7:40 ET Thursday morning. Padraig Harrington was one of the giants of golf heading into the 2008 FedEx playoffs, having won three majors in just over a year. But he's put off a vacation to play the Wyndham in hopes of climbing from 130th on the FedEx points list. He must finish 12th or better to crack the top 125 and get to the Barclays. Others who need a big week at this Donald Ross classic, where the scoring is usually low, include Angel Cabrera (150th) and Paul Casey (147th). Even those in good shape to make it to the Barclays will be keeping an eye on their numbers. Vijay Singh, the 2008 Cup winner, is 42nd in FedEx Cup points. Defending FedEx Cup champion Jim Furyk is 70th. Only the top 30 players will advance to the season-ending Tour Championship at Atlanta's East Lake. The featured attraction at Sedgefield is expected to be Jason Dufner, who is coming off a three-hole playoff loss to Keegan Bradley at the PGA. "It's been kind of a weird experience," Dufner said Tuesday. "Everybody that's kind of come up to me, I almost feel like it's a funeral or something tragic happened. I don't feel that way at all. It was a great experience. Unfortunately I wasn't able to win that event, but I had a great chance, best opportunity probably to win a Tour event, so I feel good." That's easier to believe when you consider the aftermath of Dufner's defeat included a visit to his alma mater, Auburn University (he still lives in town). He was summoned to an auditorium on campus, where he was thrilled at being given a standing ovation by the football team. He's trying to approach the Wyndham as if it's just another tournament, and as if he's still the same golfer he always was, even if he gave up a five-shot lead with four holes remaining at the season's final major. "I made contact with the golf ball on the first tee [in a practice round at Sedgefield], so that was nice," Dufner said. "Didn't whiff any putts or didn't lose my golf game overnight because of what happened on Sunday. I think maybe the media plays into that a little bit. And maybe some guys are different; maybe some guys would feel like it was a tragedy. But I don't really look at it that way. I'm disappointed with not being able to finish that tournament off with a W, but I'm a professional golfer, I'm going to continue to be a professional golfer." Westchester C.C. back in the mix for seniors Westchester Country Club was a 41-year fixture on the PGA Tour, from 1967 to 2007. The club is back in the spotlight as host of this week's Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. Five players in the field won at Westchester as PGA Tour pros: Bob Gilder (1982, when he made a double-eagle on 18), Scott Simpson ('84), Bob Tway ('86), Hale Irwin ('90) and David Frost ('92). Mark O'Meara is the defending champion, but he won the title last year at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Maryland. Tom Lehman's lead in the Charles Schwab Cup points race has dwindled to 291 points, over second-place Olin Browne. Fred Couples will play Westchester after a recent trip to Germany to get treatment for his chronically ailing back. Apparently it was a success. Said Couples, "I haven't felt like this in 10 years, health-wise." Nationwide pros head into home stretch The end of the PGA Championship brings closure of sorts to the PGA Tour just as the Nationwide gets serious. Ten events remain for players to earn enough cash on that tour to graduate to the PGA Tour in 2012, starting with this week's Midwest Classic at Nicklaus Golf Club at Lions Gate in Overland Park, Kan. The best recent reminder of Nationwide relevance is that Keegan Bradley was 25th on the money list and on the bubble for advancing to the PGA Tour exactly one year ago. Then he went T3, T3, T5 and T4 to finish 14th in earnings and secure his Tour card for 2011. The rest is current events. Short game Yani Tseng headlines a field that also includes Paula Creamer, Alexis Thompson and Michelle Wie at the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola at the Ghost Creek Course at Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains, Ore. This week marks the 40th anniversary of the LPGA in Portland. ... Miguel Angel Jimenez, who designed both the Old and New Courses at Prosper Golf Resort in Celadna, Czech Republic, will seek his first victory of 2011 at the European Tour's Czech Open at Prosper. The tournament will use a composite course for the first time. ... The U.S. Amateur will begin with stroke-play qualifying at Erin Hills next Monday. Tweet

Poof! He's Gone: A struggling Tiger Woods is likely done for remainder of season

2011-08-17T15:14:00.001-07:00

Holy drudgery. The golfing trinity of Padraig Harrington, Davis Love III and Tiger Woods took five sweaty hours just to reach the 18th tee during their second round at the PGA Championship. Paddy was playing to make the cut. Davis was playing to climb higher up the leader board. Tiger was playing for... you'd have to be a mind reader to know what. Woods was already nine over par through 35 holes. One more hole and he'd be done. Certainly for the week. Possibly, on his home tour, for the year. It was Aug. 12. The only thing left in his workweek was to play the final hole, shake hands with his playmates and address the reporter herd, and then he'd be free, if freedom is a concept Woods even knows anymore. It had been clear for most of the afternoon at least since his double bogey on the 12th, an easy par-5 that Tiger's midsummer return to golf after a three-month rest-and-rehab break would comprise only six rounds, four at the Bridgestone Invitational and two at the PGA. Not what the doctor, Sean Foley, Mark Steinberg, Tim Finchem or the marketing departments at Nike, CBS and FedEx had ordered. Not what Woods had wanted, either. He is discovering, painfully and at age 35, Mick's deep truth: You can't always get what you want. Some of the things Sean and I are working on are starting to click and now I am starting to really understand what he's trying to get me to do. Woods on Aug. 2 in Akron, before the Bridgestone Invitational Woods gives a mass group interview before every tournament and generally after every round he plays. He has 43 listed interviews for 2011 on the ASAP Sports website, a company that transcribes formal group press conferences at various sporting events, and eight of them are from August, when Woods played in Akron and Atlanta. During those sessions he seldom tells stories and rarely talks about himself in a personal way. His main thing is to report on the state of his game. The herd picks up the tea leaves and tries to read them. As Woods played his final hole at the PGA last week, he knew what was coming, another media session in which he would try to explain the inexplicable: Where does it go when it goes? I was hitting proper shots out there. Woods on Aug. 4, after a first-round 68 at the Bridgestone For last week's PGA the 18th hole at Atlanta Athletic Club was played as a 480-yard par-4 and was almost comically difficult. If you missed left, you were in a lake. If you missed right, you were in a trap. Most balls that finished in the Tifton 10 bermuda rough required a U.S. Openstyle hack-out. The fairway was a rumor. The welcome mat to the thin green was a murky pond. Woods, most atypically, had the honor at 18 on Friday, and he hit his three-wood into the right bunker. His swing has always featured a head dip, but now he's more of a head-dipper than ever before. If that's good or bad, only Sean Foley, Johnny Miller or Brandel Chamblee can say. Harrington followed Woods and smoked a three-wood down the middle. Love, after bogeys on 16 and 17, had the red ass (sorry, Mrs. Penta Love) and nutted a two-iron past both of them. Paddy knocked his second onto the green. Tiger thought Davis was away and waited for him to play first. In the meantime Tiger made repeated practice swings before descending into the sand, which he did with some care. (His legs have been through the wars of modern medicine.) He took a mighty swipe with a long iron. It was deeply impressive but not nearly enough. The pond swallowed up his swooshed ball. I'm hitting the ball so much farther. Woods on Aug. 5, after a second-round 71 at the Bridgestone I hit the ball so much straighter than I used to. Woods on Aug. 6, after a third-round 72 at the Bridgestone With his friend Bryon Bell on his bag, and his own yardage book in his pocket, Tiger dropped a new ball in front of the pond. He made a beautiful pitch shot and holed a five-footer for a closing bogey. His rounds were 77 and 73, 10 over par, six over the cut line. He has played in 56 majors as a pro, won 14 of them and missed the cut in only three. He took off his hat and approached his two buddies, Paddy and Davis. He smiled briefly. Woods and Love didn't talk much in the second round, but they did during the first. Woods asked Love, who will be next year's U.S. Ryder Cup captain, who his assistants will be. He asked Davis how his daughter, Lexie, an accomplished equestrienne, was doing. He asked several questions about Davis's son, Dru, a good junior golfer: Is he taller than you? Can he hit it farther than you? Where's he looking to go? (Yes, yes, possibly North Carolina.) Tiger wants to play on this year's Presidents Cup team. He wants to play on next year's Ryder Cup team. He wants his old life back. Playing money games with my buddies, it's just not quite the same. Being out here and being forced to post a score, hit shots, that's a different deal. Woods on Aug. 7 after a closing 70 and 37th-place finish at the Bridgestone As he walked to the scorer's hut at the end of his two-day PGA week, fans were calling out Tiger's name. He didn't acknowledge them. He seldom does. But then he did a rare thing. He flipped his game ball to a charming little girl standing along the rope, a girl maybe slightly younger than Tiger's daughter, Sam, who is four, two years older than Woods's son, Charlie. Tiger was in and out of the scorer's trailer in a minute. I'm not down. I'm really angry right now. Woods last Thursday, after his 77 at the PGA Woods did not leave the Atlanta Athletic Club angry, not that you could tell, anyway. He had to be confused, disappointed and weirded out. After all, for nearly all of his 15 years on Tour he could play in virtually any event he wanted. He 73'd his way out of that luxury. Tommy Gainey is in the FedEx Cup playoffs, but Woods is not. He said goodbye to the herd with this: Now I'll have nothing to do but work on my game. Maybe the answer to what ails him lies in those words. Or not. In the end, golf's not about words spoken. It's about numbers written. Woods has known that forever. Tweet

Family resemblance puts Bradley in winner's circle

2011-08-16T15:18:00.001-07:00

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) Saying newly crowned PGA champion Keegan Bradley was practically born to play golf is like saying Barry Bonds got a headstart by being Bobby's son. His father, Mark, is currently the head pro at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club in Wyoming after stints in Boston and Vermont. Bradley got plenty of lessons and all the time he needed at the practice range, free of charge. Turns out he was schooled, as well, by one of his aunts, who knew plenty about the game and even more about the tenacity it takes to play golf at the highest levels. That would be LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, whom renowned sports psychologist Bob Rotella once called the toughest player he ever saw. "I grew up going to Pat's tournaments, totally idolizing her and wanting to be like her out there," he said, with the Wanamaker Trophy perched nearby. "I remember as a kid going out to her tournaments and literally staring her in the face, and I'm her nephew, but she was so into it, she wouldn't even recognize me. And I thought that was cool," said Bradley, now 25. Some of that coolness apparently made it into Bradley's DNA. The last time a golfer won a major in his first try was Ben Curtis in 2003, and before him, Francis Ouimet in 1913. And until late Sunday afternoon, it looked possible another century might even slip by before it happened again. Bradley began the day trailing third-round co-leaders Jason Dufner and Brendan Steele, a good pal, by only a stroke; by the time he stood on the 16th tee, though, he was down five shots with only three holes to make up the differential. Yet some of that familial toughness revealed itself as he walked toward No. 16 after dumping a ball in a pond at the 15th and carding a disastrous triple-bogey. "I remember walking off that green thinking, 'You know, the last four holes are so tough here that somebody could have a five-shot lead. It doesn't matter," Bradley recalled. The gap closed when Dufner, who played the final four holes at 3-under through the first three rounds, made three bogeys over that same stretch in the last one. Bradley sealed the deal in the three-hole playoff with two straight birdies, closing with a very workmanlike par. "I kept thinking about the playoff I won at the Byron Nelson, and the same thing happened to me in that. As soon as I realized I was going into a playoff, I completely calmed down," he said. During the family's time in Vermont, Bradley did a fair share of ski racing as a youngster, but didn't need long to decide between the two sports. He was 12 years old and looking down the barrel of a tough slalom run in Killington when the decision was practically made for him. "It was raining, cold, sleeting and I'm at the top of this mountain going, 'This is not as much fun as golf. I love golf so much more.'" As Bradley recalled that moment, his mother, Kaye, sat in the back of the interview room, alternately nodding or chuckling at the memory and crying tears of joy. "He always said he was going to do this," she said. "I still have a letter he wrote in the first grade saying he was going to be a PGA pro. I've got pictures of him on the range at four. Grandma Bradley sent over his first set of clubs - plastic, of course - for Christmas, and Keegan almost wore those out. He was so devoted. He wanted this so badly. I used to worry what would happen if it didn't come to pass." She often looked to her husband to be the detached voice of reason any time the discussions turned to Keegan's career. "But he wasn't much help that way," Kaye Bradley said. "He used to say all the time, 'He's the real deal.' But I didn't want it to be this or nothing. I made sure he got his college degree." Yet it was Kaye who was unabashedly proud to revive a Bradley tradition. When Pat won her first tournament, in Australia, it was the middle of the night back at the family home in Westford, Mass. Determined to celebrate, Pat's mother ran up and down the streets ringing a cowbell and waking up plenty of her neighbors. "The bell is actually in the Hall of Fame now," Keegan Bradley said. "My mom has started her own, new tradition, a takeoff on that. She runs up and down the street like a crazy woman with wind chimes. "Might have to get that bell out of retirement," Bradley mused a moment later. "I'd like to hear it ring at least once."

Great years for Donald and Westwood, but still no major victories

2011-08-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. So the World's No. 1 and No. 2 golfers still haven't won a major between them. Another championship gone, another missed opportunity for Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. It must be driving them potty that world ranking points simply don't translate into major victories. Both fought hard to get their big-time names in among the little-known names of Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley. But the very English challenge ran out of gas at Atlanta Athletic Club. Donald got to five under at the 12th but couldn't push on to put pressure on those playing behind him. He was the architect of his own undoing for the second day in a row. On Saturday he threw away two shots by hitting his approach into water at 18. Sunday he got wet at 15 after slapping his tee shot at the par 3 into the pond. Game over. He bogeyed 18, too, to finish the week at a disappointing three under par. "Again, bittersweet. It's another major gone, another year gone without winning a major," Donald said. "The positives I see is I didn't have my best this week and I still came reasonably close. I know I've got the game to compete and win majors. I've got to take that as a positive." It has nevertheless been a remarkable year for Donald. The new steely Donald will surely challenge at the majors next year. He has had a breakthrough season that saw him climb to No. 1 in May by beating Westwood in a playoff at the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth, England, the flagship event on the European Tour. He had two other victories the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February and the Scottish Open in June and has posted 10 more worldwide top 10s. He finished tied for fourth at the Masters, tied for 45th at the US Open and missed the cut at the British Open. Donald proved that old adage that "form is temporary; class is permanent," by finishing tied eighth at the PGA Championship. Such form means he has all but won the Race to Dubai as the top money-winner on the European Tour. He will tee it up at the Barclays Championship at the start of the FedEx Cup Series in two weeks with a real chance to become the first player ever to take the big money title on both sides of the Atlantic. "That's certainly a goal. That would be a great accomplishment," Donald said. "No one's ever done it, and to be the first would be very special." Westwood finished at tied for eighth with Donald at three under par, which ended a frustrating year at the majors, where he finished tied for 11th at the Masters and T3 at the U.S. Open and missed the cut at the British Open. He is now 0-for-55 at the majors, and appeared close to tears with frustration and exhaustion after his round. "I played lovely again. Just one of those things," Westwood said before heading off for a two-week holiday. He added that he will play big fall tournaments on the European Tour, including events in Switzerland, Holland, Scotland and finally Dubai. "I have enjoyed playing great for a long time now," he said, "but unfortunately when I turn up to majors, when I don't win one, then it's a disappointing week." It can't help the sanity of either Westwood or Donald to watch a golfer with a nervous waggle called Dufner, and another in a red shirt with a fist pump not called Tiger Woods in a playoff in the last major of the year. Oh the irony. Tweet

Dufner has lead all to himself at PGA Championship

2011-08-14T15:12:00.001-07:00

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) Jason Dufner has never won a tour event. He's trying to hang on at the PGA Championship. Dufner has a one-stroke lead over Keegan Bradley with six holes to play Sunday, rolling in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 12th to reclaim the outright lead at Atlanta Athletic Club. The 34-year-old Dufner, who lives two hours away in Auburn, Ala., heard chants of "War Eagle" as he kept up his steady play. He started with five straight pars before a birdie at the sixth, a short par-4. He rolled in a 20-footer at No. 8 for another birdie and made the turn with a two-stroke lead. Bradley briefly claimed a share of the lead at the 12th, sticking a 7-iron to 2 feet and tapping in for eagle. Robert Karlsson also made an eagle at the 12th and was two shots off the lead.

McIlroy returns, shoots 73 in the 2nd round of PGA

2011-08-13T15:15:00.001-07:00

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) Just about any other week, Rory McIlroy would've already been heading for home. Not this one. Even with an aching right wrist, he's not giving up on chasing down Steve Stricker. McIlroy struggled through the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday with his injured wrist all taped up. A 3-over 73 - which included a triple bogey - left a daunting deficit heading to the weekend. Stricker had not even teed off by the time McIlroy finished, having extended his advantage on the U.S. Open champion without hitting a shot. But sweltering Atlanta Athletic Club was showing its teeth Friday. Stricker, who opened with a bogey-free 63 and just missed the lowest score in major championship history, bogeyed two of the first six holes in the second round. He was still at 6 under, but D.A. Points, Adam Scott, Jerry Kelly and Scott Verplank were all within two strokes of the lead. The 44-year-old Stricker was bidding for his first major title. He's 0-for-52 in his career but keeps making a run at it, having finished in the top 10 at all four of golf's biggest events. Stricker had a shot at the first 62 in major championship history on Thursday. A 10-foot birdie putt at his final hole skidded by the right edge of the cup. In the second round, Points posted the best round from the morning starters, a 67 that pushed him to 4-under 136 at the midway point. Scott, coming off a win at Firestone with Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams on the bag, was 3 under through 11 holes. "It feels great," Points said, "but it's only Friday. It's going to feel a lot better when it's Sunday." What about Woods? He was trying desperately to make the cut. His score climbed to 9 over when he plugged a wedge in the bunker at the par-5 fifth, leading to bogey, and took another with an ugly three-putt at the seventh. But Woods closed the front side with back-to-back birdies, moving within three strokes of the projected cut line. He's failed to make it to the weekend in a major only twice in his professional career: The 2006 U.S. Open and the British Open two years ago. Just making it through the first two days was an accomplishment for McIlroy, given what he did on his third hole of the tournament. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland strained a tendon when he foolishly took a swing with his ball sitting against a thick tree root. He considered quitting a couple of times Thursday, but felt comfortable about carrying on after getting an MRI and being told by the medical staff that he couldn't do any more damage. "If it wasn't a major," he said, "I probably would've stopped." McIlroy blew away the field at Congressional two months ago with a record-setting 16-under score. He's become the new face of the game with Woods struggling, arriving at Atlanta Athletic Club as the favorite. One ill-advised swing might have ruined his chances. McIlroy said his wrist didn't hurt as much in the second round. Actually, a shaky putter was his main problem. "I feel like I'm hitting the ball OK," he said. "I gave myself a few chances but I just didn't putt very well at all. I'm struggling on the greens this week." There was also a misjudged tee shot at the par-3 17th. Torn between clubs, he actually went for a little more distance with a 6-iron. But he took a little bit off his swing, got the ball a little too high and watched in disbelief as a slight breeze carried it into the water. He had to take a drop, then three-putted. Coming off a 40-foot birdie putt at the 16th that got him into the red, the triple bogey was a momentum killer. "It was tough to come back from that," McIlroy said. But he's not conceding the Wanamaker Trophy to Stricker or anyone else. "I hope to make a good run at it the next couple of days," McIlroy said. "I feel as if I can still make birdies out there. If I didn't think I could contend, I probably wouldn't be playing." Anders Hansen was at 137 after posting a 69, his second straight round in the 60s. Davis Love III also was at 3 under midway through his round. Former PGA champion Shaun Micheel, who opened with a surprising 66, tumbled off the leaderboard. He played his first 11 holes at 9 over and finished with a 78, leaving him more concerned about making the cut than winning the tournament. So many wacky things happened on the first day at this course in Atlanta's sprawling northern suburbs, Stricker's brilliance and McIlroy's injury were only part of the story. Woods opened with a 77, his worst score ever in the PGA. Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa put six - yes, SIX! - balls in the water and wound up with an 85, the highest score of his professional career. The groundskeepers had to contend with mowers gone wild, hastily repairing two greens that were damaged while being clipped. The craziness extended into Friday, when Brandt Snedeker showed up about 2 minutes late for his 8:10 a.m. tee time and was assessed a two-stroke penalty. Snedeker thought he was teeing off at 8:20 and sprinted from the putting green to the tee when he realized his mistake. He didn't get there quick enough to avoid the penalty. "It's embarrassing," said Snedeker, who shot 73 with the extra strokes and was likely to miss the cut. "I feel like I'm 2 years old."

J.B. Holmes withdraws from PGA with illness

2011-08-12T15:18:00.001-07:00

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) J.B. Holmes has withdrawn from the PGA Championship because of an illness. Holmes shot a 10-over 80 in the opening round and was unlikely to make the cut.

One year after his bunker blunder, Dustin Johnson eyes his first major title

2011-08-11T15:23:00.001-07:00

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. It's been one year since Dustin Johnson suffered one of the most crushing final-hole penalties in major championship history. But don't expect him to sulk about it. Don't expect him to read a rules sheet, either. Clinging to a one-shot lead at the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Johnson illegally and unknowingly grounded his club in a scruffy fairway bunker on the 72nd hole. He was popped with a two-shot penalty when he completed the hole, and the gaffe cost him a spot in the Bubba Watson-Martin Kaymer playoff, which Kaymer eventually won. Johnson told reporters here Wednesday afternoon that despite that expensive mistake, he still doesn't read the rules sheet that's provided to all players when they first arrive at a course for an event. "No, I've never looked at one and probably never will," he said with a laugh. "I know the rules." Johnson, who tees off Thursday with Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia at 1:25 p.m , said he never got too angry at the ruling and blames himself for the mistake. He's also never watched a video replay of that final hole, but said he's still often reminded of it. "I've just seen the pictures," he said. "It seems like all the pictures that people want me to sign are me hitting that shot. It's like, 'Thank you.'" Johnson, and the room, cracked up. The pro also added that he doesn't expect identifying bunkers here at Atlanta Athletic Club to be a problem. "Here the bunkers are all defined it's not going to be an issue." In addition to last year's PGA, Johnson has been in contention in other majors. At the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, he took a three-shot lead into the final round before detonating with an 82 , and Graeme McDowell took the title. Last month at the British Open, Johnson's weekend surge was halted when he pushed a long iron O.B. on the 14th hole on Sunday and finished tied for second with Phil Mickelson. Couple those results with "Bunkergate," and it's a troubling trend. Still, Johnson is upbeat this week, and said that he has taken some positives away from the near-misses. "I've played well in the final rounds of the last two majors where I've really been in contention," he said. "There's one shot here or one shot there and I've probably got a victory. You know, just got to keep working on it and putting myself in position to win." Johnson played a relaxed nine holes Wednesday alongside Cameron Tringale. On Tuesday, the entertainment value and the stakes were higher when D.J. partnered with Steve Marino and took on Phil Mickelson and Jeff Overton in a money game. He said the practice-round competitions aren't just about the cash, but an opportunity to hone his game for tournament play. "We have a lot of fun. That's the main thing when we're out there playing," he said. "It helps you, especially on Tuesday, to put a little pressure on yourself when you know you need to hit a good shot or you need to make a putt, to kind of see where your game is at, to see what's going on. "But I enjoy playing with Phil. You know, we talk smack to each other, it's fun." And which team won Tuesday's match? "We pushed," Johnson said with a smile. To win his first career major this week, he'll need to be one shot better. Tweet

Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer drops Tiger Woods

2011-08-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

GENEVA (AP) Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer says it's ended its 10-year commercial relationship with Tiger Woods and hopes he can "overcome his difficulties." Tag Heuer chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin says in a statement the company is "confident that Tiger will eventually regain full trust with the public." Woods has "huge talent and mental strength (which) will help him overcome his difficulties," Babin says. Tag Heuer stopped promoting Woods' image in the United States in December 2009, weeks after revelations about his marital problems began to emerge. Babin said then Tag Heuer had to "take account of the sensitivity of some consumers." Tag Heuer will continue to support Woods's charitable foundation through sales of a watch he designed.

Steve Williams' victory dance draws mixed reaction

2011-08-09T15:14:00.001-07:00

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) Tiger Woods' former caddie drew a mixed reaction to the way he gloated over his new boss' first victory with him on the bag. Some understood Steve Williams' frustration after being dumped by Woods. Others thought the caddie went overboard in his comments to the media, taking attention away from the guy who actually won the World Golf Championship at Firestone, Adam Scott. The crowd chanted Williams' name as he walked up to the 18th green with Scott, who pulled away for a four-stroke victory. Afterward, Williams gave an interview that was nearly twice as long as the Aussie's, calling it "the best win I've ever had" - remember, he caddied for 13 of Woods' major titles - and making it clear he felt his ex-boss had treated him unfairly. Steve Stricker said Monday that Williams was clearly upset and eager to let his feelings out after the acrimonious split. "I'm not going to say if he went overboard or not," Stricker said after a practice round for the final major of the year, the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. "It's just too bad their relationship had to end like that." A pair of English golfers, who weren't at Firestone but watched the tournament on television, both went on Twitter to take shots at Williams. "Cannot believe they have interviewed Steve Williams. Nice of him to take away from Scotty's win. Says it all," Chris Wood wrote. Oliver Wilson chimed in, "Steve Williams taken all the attention off Adam scotts fantastic win! Played great and nobody is talking about him this morning!!!" He added a hash tag to his tweet with the word "shameful." Stricker was more diplomatic. "This is all media driven. The media is looking for a story here," he said. "I don't know the whole situation. I've heard two different stories, and I don't know which one is the real story. But, obviously, he was upset to the point that he said what he did in front of everybody. That's his right." Woods also played at Firestone, his first tournament in three months, and finished 18 shots behind Scott. That only added to Williams' glee. "Stevie was obviously hurt. He gave his all to Tiger for 13 years," said Nick Faldo, who will be an analyst on CBS' broadcast of the PGA Championship. "I'm sure there was an element to that where he was saying, 'Hey, look what I've just done, mate.' I know Stevie is getting praise and criticism, both ways. That's kind of normal for him. That's Stevie." PLAYING UP: Some players were griping about the length of the Highlands Course - listed at 7,467 yards for a par-70 layout - but the PGA of America could make things interesting at a couple of holes. Start with the 13th, the shortest par 4 at 372 yards but also the tightest, with tall pines lining both sides of the fairway and a sharp dogleg to the right. There were markers at both the front and back tee boxes during Monday's practice round, setting up two totally different tee shots. From the closer position, the players have a shot at going for the green, if they can frame a shot around the trees and avoid a bunker on the right. The 425-yard sixth also sets up plenty of intrigue. The PGA could move the tee forward to play 295 yards, which brings a pond into play for anyone that tries to go for the green with his tee shots. There's also bunkers in front and behind the putting surface. "It's always nice to have a bit of a change, especially on a course like this. It's so long," Scotland's Martin Laird said. "Giving the guys a little bit of a surprise never hurts." TV COVERAGE: Golf fans won't have to be at the course to catch a glimpse of the practice range and putting green during the PGA Championship. The 360-degree camera on PGA.com will be streaming a live feed from each spot at Atlanta Athletic Club, allowing users to rotate the view to any direction from where the camera is placed. For the first two rounds, the camera will be at the practice range from 8:30-10 a.m. EDT, the putting green from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; the tee box at No. 1 from 2-4 p.m.; and the 15th green from 5-7 p.m. TNT says it's the first time the camera has been used at a professional golf tournament. DIVOTS: Foreign-born players have won the past three PGA Championships: Padraig Harrington of Ireland in 2008, Y.E. Yang of South Korea in 2009, and Martin Kaymer of Germany last year. ... Atlanta Athletic Club is among 15 clubs that have hosted the year's final major more than once. This is the third PGA Championship in Atlanta, which also hosted in 1981 and 2001. ... If the PGA Championship produces a fourth first-time major winner this year, it will be the first time that's happened since 2003. ... The Highlands Course is 254 yards longer than it was when it hosted the PGA a decade ago.

New Golf Books Index

2011-08-08T15:20:00.001-07:00

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 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.

Woods struggles again and falls far behind

2011-08-07T15:21:00.001-07:00

AKRON, Ohio (AP) Tiger Woods has discovered something about his game that he never imagined could be a problem. He's hitting it too straight. In another pedestrian round Saturday that caused him to lose more ground in the Bridgestone Invitational, Woods didn't hit a fairway until the 11th hole and struggled so much with his putting that one of his associates brought a different putter out to the practice green after a round of 72. Woods was at 1-over 211, which left him 13 shots behind Adam Scott going into Sunday. What he noticed at Firestone, however, was the shape of his tee shots. Instead of playing a fade or a draw off the tee, depending on the shape of the flight he wanted, Woods is hitting it straighter. He said the trouble was still aiming right or left. "Still struggling a little bit with my setup and alignments off of tee shots because I used to curve the ball a lot more," he said. "I don't curve the ball as much anymore, and it's kind of hard to trust when I'm out there in tournament play. And most of my shots are missing right on the edges of fairways, so I've just got to get more committed to that. "I'm hitting the ball straighter," he said. "It's a nice change. But it's still a change." That was the scouting report out of Atlanta Athletic Club when Woods played a practice round Monday ahead of next week's PGA Championship. He was having a hard time picking out the right target, instinctively aiming farther outside the fairway lines because for years he was used to more movement on his shots. He missed every fairway on the front nine, and some of them weren't that close. His shot on No. 6 went into the gallery, plunked a fan in the back and bounced into the rough on the other side of the ropes. Brady Klotz, the college kid he struck, was so excited about being hit that he posed with the glove that Woods signed for him. Woods picked up two birdies to offset some early mistakes, but finished poorly. A sand wedge for his third shot to the par-5 16th went over the green and into a bunker for a bogey, and he three-putted the 18th for a 72. The putter is the biggest concern, as it has been since he first returned from the calamity in his personal life at the 2010 Masters. Woods went back to his Scotty Cameron, the model that he has used in 13 of his major championships. But after his round, the Nike putter was being delivered to him on the practice green. Woods played with Bubba Watson, who believes Woods is closer than the scores indicated. Watson was particularly impressed with the final hole, when Woods carved a shot out of the rough and around the trees to get on the green. "You've got to think he's just rusty," Watson said. "Like if we have a winter break, we've got a three-month winter break, the first tournament you're a little rusty. But 18 just showed how great he is. He hit some kind of a pitching wedge that sliced over that tree. That just proves he's close, and he's coming back and he's ready." About all that Woods can get out of this World Golf Championship now is four rounds, and hopes of a good Sunday to improve on his standing with the FedEx Cup playoffs at the end of the month. Woods is at No. 135, although he has two weeks to get into the top 125 and appears he can at least do that. "I've just got to put together a good round and let it build," Woods said. "That's something I haven't done yet. I've only played three rounds. Unfortunately, I'm not there battling with a chance to win, but I can still post a good round tomorrow."

Scott takes a 1-shot lead at Firestone

2011-08-06T15:16:00.001-07:00

AKRON, Ohio (AP) Ryo Ishikawa amazed even his peers in a charity-driven sport when he pledged in March to donate his entire earnings on the golf course to the tsunami relief fund in his native Japan. He could double the donation Sunday in a World Golf Championship that is surprising even him. Coming off a missed cut in Japan, never better than 20th in stroke play in America, the 19-year-old sensation made six birdies and twice escaped trouble in the trees Saturday for a 6-under 64 that put him in the final group and only one shot behind Adam Scott in the Bridgestone Invitational. Along with a $1.4 million payoff, Ishikawa could become the youngest winner of a PGA Tour event in 100 years. "I think it's a little too early to think about winning this whole thing as of now," Ishikawa said. "But I do feel that I was able to play at a pretty good level, a pretty high level today. Actually, I'm a little surprised of how I performed out there." Scott turned his fortunes around when decided to stick what was working, going to a fade off the tee. He poured in four birdies on the back nine for a 4-under 66, giving the 31-year-old Australian a shot at his first World Golf Championship. Scott was at 12-under 198, the lowest 54-hole score at Firestone in 10 years. He will play in the last group with Ishikawa. In front of them will be Jason Day, whose 66 put him one shot behind. Day and Scott tied for second in the Masters this year. About the only thing Tiger Woods can now get out of this week are four rounds and some points to help him qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs at the end of the month. Woods, a seven-time winner at Firestone who hasn't played in nearly three months, struggled again with his putting and had a 72. He was 13 shots behind in a tie for 38th in the 76-man field. "I've just got to put together a good round and let it build," Woods said. Scott in the lead should be compelling enough, especially with Woods back to golf. It was only two weeks ago when Woods announced he had fired his caddie, Steve Williams, and Scott then hired him on a full-time basis. But that's became old news because of one of the youngest players in the field. Ishikawa might be the only other player in golf to appreciate what it's like to get attention like Woods. He has been a star in Japan since he won his first tournament as a 15-year-old amateur, and his 10 wins on the Japan Golf Tour include shooting a 58 in the final round to win The Crowns. He has earned so much respect from his peers that Scott, even though he was leading, was not the least bit bothered to spend most of his interview talking about the kid once known as the "Shy Prince." "I first saw him in Japan when he was 15, and he had already won an even over there. I mean, this kid is really amazing," Scott said. "I think this week is really big for him. It's great that he's playing well over here probably for the first time, if I'm not mistaken, first time he's really challenging at a world event. "He's only 19. He's got everything in front of him." Ishikawa doesn't get much attention in these parts because he has struggled in America, with only one top 10 in 2010 when Ishikawa reached the third round of the Match Play Championship. This is his 22nd tournament in America, and he started feeling comfortable only when he tied for 20th at the Masters this year. The spotlight? He's been coping with that for a long time. He gets the kind of media coverage in Japan that Woods gets around the world. It's not unusual to see Ishikawa sit in a folding chair after every round to accommodate dozens of Japanese media. Now comes the hard part. A win would make him the youngest winner of a PGA Tour event since John McDermott at the 1911 U.S. Open at 19, who was one week younger than Ishikawa. As for the money? He already has donated about $740,000 this year from his earnings, which include a pair of runner-up finishes in Japan. Along with his money pledges for making birdies and eagles, the total donation is pushing $1 million. "There are people that have no homes right now, and we actually don't know how long it's going to take for Japan to recover," Ishikawa said through a translator. "So I would just like to give my support to Japan." Ishikawa opened with three birdies on the front nine and never eased back, making enough escapes out of the trees and a few more birdies. It was his best round since he opened with a 65 at Doral, right after he learned of the tsunami. His expectations are limited for Sunday. "I think the golf I'm playing now is unstable in a sense," Ishikawa said, noting he went from a runner-up finish to qualify for this event to a missed cut. "And so considering that, I'm not really sure as to how I will perform tomorrow, to be honest with you." Day took an early lead with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, gave it back with consecutive bogeys to start the back nine and finished with a flourish, three birdies over his last five holes for a 66. It wasn't enough to put Day in the final group with Scott. They played together in the final round of the Masters, and both looked as though they might win until Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes for a two-shot victory. "He really impressed me at Augusta on Sunday when I think back to how he played," Scott said. The third round was played early to avoid a forecast of thunderstorms. Sunday returns to regular twosomes, and Scott doesn't expect a duel at the top. If conditions stay dry, and the fairways get faster, it puts a premium on just about everything. Nine players were within five shots of the lead. PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley had a 68 and was two shots behind, along with Martin Laird (67). The group another shot behind included world No. 1 Luke Donald, who had a 64 despite a bogey on the last hole, and Rickie Fowler, who holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day. He needed that for a 69, although he is still only three shots behind as he goes for his first win. Woods opened with a bogey that started with shots to the right and left of the fairway, and he didn't hit a single fairway on the front nine. He attributed that to hitting the ball straighter, which is something he's not used to doing. Tweet

Despite fatigue, Browne to play 3M Championship

2011-08-05T15:21:00.001-07:00

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) Olin Browne is looking forward to a home-cooked meal next week. He has spent 12 weeks on the road playing on the Champions Tour or serving as a television analyst during the U.S. Open and British Open. "I'm tired, but it's a really good tired," Browne said Wednesday at the TPC Twin Cities, site of this week's 3M Championship. Three days earlier, the 52-year-old Browne won the U.S. Senior Open Championship by three shots. "I'm still foggy about what's been happening, I haven't slept a lot," he said. "I came right up here and I'm just trying to catch up." Browne is likely not alone when it comes to the fatigue factor. With three majors in a five-week span, it wouldn't have been surprising for some of the top Champions Tour players to take this week off. Instead, a full field is expected for the tournament. Besides last week's event, The Senior Open Championship was held two weeks ago in England. The players have next week off before the Senior Players Championship. "That wears on you," Browne said. "I'm really, really looking forward to going home next week." Whether it's the course where players have shot low scores in recent years or some of the biggest galleries on tour, the 3M Championship has become a must-play event for the top golfers of the 50-and-over set. For the third straight year, admission is free. "It's a fantastic field again," said Bernhard Langer, who chipped in on 18 to win the event two years ago. Defending champion David Frost established a tournament scoring record with a 25-under 191 total last year, including a final-round 61. Mark Calcavecchia finished five shots back. The average winning score the last six years is minus-18. Scores could be that low again. The course received more than 1.5 inches of rain overnight Saturday, six-tenths of an inch Monday, and another quarter-inch Tuesday. "If there are soft greens out here, look for guys to make a ton of birdies," said Browne, who tied for eighth last year at 15 under. "Guys do go deep here." Most players refuse to predict a winning number. "It's all relative to how you play," said David Eger, ninth in the season-long points race. Fred Couples - returning to competitive golf after missing two months with a back injury - is scheduled to play the tournament for the first time, as is Minnesota native Tom Lehman, who is the course architect along with Arnold Palmer. Lehman is a three-time tour winner in 2011. "You always want to play the best," Langer said. Brad Faxon, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour who turned 50 on Monday, is scheduled to make his Champions Tour debut this weekend. "There's not many places people look forward to turning 50," said Faxon, who has struggled on the PGA Tour the past few years. "This is a fresh start. ... It's kind of a rebirth." Browne hopes the week is another step in ending his up-and-down season. He finished in the top eight in five straight tournaments early in the season, but was better than 23rd just twice in his next nine starts. His iron play was better last week, and he made a tweak when hitting his driver. "It feels great," he said. "It certainly motivates me to continue doing what I'm doing so that I can do that or be able to do that more frequently. ... You get so few opportunities to do something like that, that, to me, the important thing was to embrace the challenge and do the very best I could." How does he keep it going? "I'll let you know on the weekend," he said with a slight smile. "I'm trying to get some rest, I'm having a hard time doing that. My phone is ringing off the hook and I've gotten a lot of emails. I'm trying to respond to all those people. It's really nice that people take the time, and I want to make sure I get back to them."

McIlroy 'leaning toward' becoming a PGA Tour member again in 2012

2011-08-04T15:19:00.001-07:00

AKRON, Ohio Rory McIlroy, your United States Open champion, may be coming to America. McIlroy, 22, did a surprising about-face Wednesday before the Bridgestone Invitational, saying he is "leaning toward" taking up PGA Tour membership again. He dropped his PGA Tour membership after last season, in part because he was required to play 15 events. Send Gary Van Sickle a question for his weekly mailbag He sounds like he's serious, too. He's going to check out some Florida real estate after he plays in next week's PGA Championship. First, he'll stay at the home of former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, also from Northern Ireland. McDowell lives at Lake Nona, a swank development near the Orlando airport. McIlroy also said he was going to look at West Palm Beach and Jupiter. Andy Pazder, a PGA Tour executive vice president and chief of Tour operations, said there are no restrictions to prevent McIlroy from rejoining the Tour for 2012. McIlroy simply has to inform the Tour of his decision within 30 days of the final tournament, the Children's Miracle Network event at Disney World in late October. "Yeah, I'm definitely looking at coming back and playing a full schedule here," McIlroy said. "I'm leaning towards taking my card up. I feel as if I play my best golf over here, and I'm very comfortable in this country." Asked what made him rethink playing in the U.S., McIlroy joked, "Probably the Open." After finishing seven over and tied for 25th at the windswept British Open at Royal St. George's, a frustrated McIlroy expressed his preference for American playing conditions. He echoed those sentiments on Wednesday. "I thought about it and feel as if my game really suits the courses over here," McIlroy said. "I love Quail Hollow, Memorial, Akron. You have the Match Play, Honda, Doral, the Masters. Most of my favorite events seem to be on this side of the pond. I'd like to give it a go again and obviously last more than one year and really see how it goes." Long-time Memorial Tournament observers will get a chuckle out of McIlroy's looking forward to the Memorial, which has been plagued by rain and storms. McIlroy is not enthusiastic about the FedEx Cup race and schedule, with the Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship back to back and the FedEx Cup playoffs starting two weeks later. "That was pretty tough," McIlroy said. "It's hard to keep it going for that length of time. It's something you just have to accept." Last May, McIlroy was notably absent from The Players, the Tour's flagship event. Asked about returning, McIlroy said, "I haven't thought about that but most likely, yeah, I probably will." The return of McIlroy would come at a key time as the PGA Tour prepares to negotiate a new round of contracts with its television partners. The current six-year deal expires after next season. "Rory is an immense talent," Pazder said. "To win the Open by eight, he captivated a lot of U.S. fans and people around the world. To have him on our Tour is very significant, if it works out." An additional factor may be his love life. McIlroy got back together briefly with his long-time girlfriend earlier this summer but then broke up again and is reportedly dating pro tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, ranked No. 1 in the world. So what do you do if you live in a small town in Northern Ireland (Holywood) and you famously break up with a local girl who had been living with you and you don't want to run into her around town? Move to another continent. Earlier this year, McIlroy's manager, Chubby Chandler, had insisted that McIlroy wouldn't consider PGA Tour membership until the Tour cut its minimum tournament requirement from 15. "If they want Rory, the number will have to be reduced," Chandler said. Perhaps not. On Wednesday, it sounded as if McIlroy has already made up his mind. Tweet

Clarke says Tiger a 'good kid' beneath the layers

2011-08-03T15:20:00.001-07:00

AKRON, Ohio (AP) Darren Clarke was one of the more popular winners of the British Open because of his zest for living and the way he relates to the common man, not to mention how he coped so publicly with the death of his wife, Heather, from breast cancer just one month before the 2006 Ryder Cup. It was suggested to him Tuesday that it was easy to root for Clarke, followed by this question: Why should someone root for Tiger Woods? "Good question," Clarke said, pausing briefly. "Because beneath it all, beneath all the stuff that's happened, self-inflicted or otherwise, he's essentially a really good kid - a man - beneath everything. Sometimes his media image has been portrayed in a very poor, poor way, some of that, again, from some of the stuff that he's been through. But underneath it all, he has been a tremendous friend to me. "And there's a real good side to Tiger Woods that nobody ever fortunately gets a chance to see. That's why." They will be paired together for the first two rounds of the Bridgestone Invitational, where Woods is a seven-time winner and Clarke won in 2004. Clarke said he doesn't mind competing against a friend, at least until a title is on the line. "I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I've got the opportunity to play with Tiger in his first tournament back. I think it's brilliant. Hopefully, I'm able to give him a little bit of stick and make him laugh a little bit the first couple of days." It's that humor that made them such close friends. They first played together at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in the 1996 British Open, Woods' final major before turning pro. They hit it off immediately and have remained friends, even after Clarke took him down in the final of the Match Play Championship at La Costa in 2000, when both worked under Butch Harmon. Woods sent him a series of text messages after Clarke won the British Open last month, although neither would say the content. It likely included a few words that couldn't be printed. How could two players who seem so opposite be such good friends? "He sort of got my sense of humor and I got his," Clarke said. "I give him a little stick and what have you. I don't think anybody gives him that much stick. He's been a very, very good friend to me over a very long period of time. I've got no idea why, but we just get on very well." DALY AND COMMISSIONERS: John Daly ran into his share of trouble early in his career when Deane Beman was the PGA Tour commissioner, getting suspended in 1993 for picking up his ball before finishing the 12th hole at Kapalua. Even so, Daly said he didn't rejoice when Beman retired and was succeeded by Tim Finchem. "I never really liked Deane, but one thing about him, I respected him. He was approachable," Daly said Tuesday from the Reno-Tahoe Open. "I can't talk to Finchem. Maybe it's the TV contract and his job is more frustrating than Deane's was because the money is so big. But I've never gotten to know Finchem the way I got to know Deane. I got to know Deane's family and we got to being friends." Daly said Beman constantly got on him for quitting, such as getting disqualified for not signing his card after shooting high scores. "Finchem's plate is so full, and he's got a lot of other players to deal with, I'm just not as high on his priority list," said Daly, who has not had a full-exempt card the past five years. "But Tim did call me to say he was proud of me for what I was doing, with the weight loss and not drinking. That was a shock. I wouldn't have expected him to do that." CADDIE FOR HIRE: Tiger Woods still hasn't settled on a permanent caddie, using longtime friend Bryon Bell for the Bridgestone Invitational. That's not to say he hasn't had a few offers. "How many? I hear there's been a few," Woods said. "People who are not caddies out here? A ton. So yeah, we've gotten a lot of interesting ones. But as far as a timetable ... right now I'm trying to play this week with Bry, and hopefully next week, as well, and maybe get myself in the playoffs." PGA champion Martin Kaymer has been through a few caddies already, recently firing Craig Connelly and picking up Christian Donald. He said it takes about two or three weeks for a caddie to figure out a player's game. "I know a lot of people, a lot of friends of mine would love to caddie for Tiger," Kaymer said. "If he needs someone, I think I can find him someone." CLOSED ON TUESDAY: Tiger Woods didn't have much of a crowd following him when he played nine holes Tuesday morning at Firestone. There were eight writers, six photographers, three Nike employees, his coach and spokesman, agent and two security officers. But no fans. There was a reason for that. The Bridgestone Invitational staff decided months ago to close the course to the public on Tuesday. It discovered in recent years that with a small field, and a limited number of players on the course on Tuesday, that fans milled around the clubhouse without much to see. Tournament director Don Padgett III said by closing the course to the public on Tuesday, the money saved by not running shuttles, hiring the extra security and running concession stands could slightly add to the charity donation at the end of the week. The tour also closed Doral on Tuesday of the Cadillac Championship. WALKER CUP: The U.S. team at the Walker Cup will have two players who have won on the Nationwide Tour this year. Russell Henley and Harris English, who both played at the University of Georgia, were among four of 10 players selected to the American team that will play Great Britain & Ireland at Royal Aberdeen on Sept. 10-11. The other two selected were U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein and UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay, the low amateur at the U.S. Open who has had four top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour this summer. The other six players will be selected later this summer. DIVOTS: A year ago, there were 46 players who had all four rounds in the 60s at The Greenbrier Classic. This year there were none. ... U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy and British Open champion Darren Clarke have been given honorary lifetime membership on the European Tour. ... The Women's British Open will return to Royal Birkdale in 2014. ... U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy and British Open champion Darren Clarke will join Lee Westwood in the Thailand Golf Championship, a new Asian Tour event with a $1 million purse to be played Dec. 15-18, one week after the Dubai World Championship. STAT OF THE WEEK: Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Bubba Watson are the only Americans from the last Ryder Cup to have won a tournament this year. FINAL WORD: "I genuinely hope he gets his game back up to the level that it was before. Because it was awesome." - Darren Clarke on Tiger Woods.

Arnold Palmer reflects on his game, the Tour and his friendship with Jack

2011-08-02T15:10:00.001-07:00

So, how's your game these days? I don't play very often, but I still enjoy it. My game is not so good. How far do you think you could hit the ball if you were in your prime and had today's equipment? I don't know. I know one thingright now I hit it so far, and so hard, I can hear it land [laughs]. What's the best swing tip you ever received? I've never worried too much about the swing. I've worried more about the things my father taught me when I was growing up. I remember he put my hands on the golf club when I was a young boy and showed me exactly how he wanted me to hold it. He gave me a stern look and said, "Now, don't you ever change that." I tried not to. Which of today's players most reminds you of yourself? A lot of people through the years have compared Phil Mickelson to my style a little bit. I see a few guys coming along who are somewhat similar, but I can't find someone that makes me say, "Hey, boy, that's the way I used to play." I've always wondered, what's the proper way to make an Arnold Palmer drink? ( motions to a nearby table ) There are cans of it all over the world. But I want to make mine from scratch. First you get some good tea some tea that you like, and then you get some good lemonade. I use about three-quarters tea and one-quarter lemonade. Then sweeten it to your likes. Besides the drinks, you're heavily involved in a number of outside projects, including two charities for prostate cancer, which you have battled and survived. What advancements have been made? There are a lot of advancements being made constantly. A lot guys, like I was when I had prostate cancer, are afraid to even say the word 'cancer.' You've gotta get over that and start doing something about it. I will always thank my doctor for making me take a PSA and detecting it early. That's one of the reasons I'm here talking to you right now. Any advice for guys? The most important single thing I can say is to get checked up. Do it annually. Everybody asks, 'What age should you start?' I can't find an age. I've run into people who are 30 years old who've had prostate cancer, and I've run into people who are 85 years old who've had it. Take a physical, annually. Make checking prostate part of it. And you can also go to myprostatecancerroadmap.com. Every man should be checking it out. How's your health today? I feel great. When I get a little older, and get a little more experience I'll get even better. But I feel fine. Recently we've seen some young Americans with loads of talent, like Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney, fail to close out victories on Sunday in majors. You won seven majors in your career. How were you able to close them out? I think it's just hard work, and concentration. I think one of the problems these young players have is they lose their concentration in the heat of the battle. For me, good concentration was the key to getting over the hump. They players you mention, I think they will get there, it's just a matter of time until they do. In your prime you were the game's most popular player and drew huge crowds and media interest. Was concentration something you struggled with? Well, certainly I've lost tournaments that I've had every right to win. Part of the reason was that I lost my concentration. That was one of the lessons I learned early in my career. But the more times you're there, the better your concentration, the more times you're going to come out a winner -- particularly in major tournaments. How did being a fan favorite help you in competition? Well, I enjoy the crowds, and I enjoyed playing to them. I suppose that was one thing that helped me as much as anything. People say I looked into the crowds -- well, I did. I looked at everybody in the crowd. But it still goes back to concentration. One time after a round my mother said to me, "Did you see me over there, Arnie?" And I had looked right at her, but I didn't remember seeing her. That's concentration. That's what you have to keep to get by those obstacles that jump up in your way. Which of your titles is the most special? I actually go back to my amateur championships. I think they really gave me a springboard to my career. When you think about it, I was pretty old when I won the U.S. Amateur. I was 24, and turned pro when I was 25. These young people today have been playing competitive golf long before that. The Amateur gave me the impetus and the confidence I needed to go out and play. It was something I felt, and something I referred to a lot, particularly in my early years on Tour. How close are you and Jack today? We're very close. We talk about golf, or fishing, or just the things we do now. We both still design golf courses, and we're both still very competitive. That keeps our friendship intact. What's your favorite memory with Jack? I like to think of the times when he put a green jacket on me, or when I put one on him. Those are always nice things to remember [laughs]. We also played a lot of games on the course. We'd both bring amateur friends, and we'd go at it. But we've had a lot of fun outside of golf, too. Jack fishes a lot, so that's good. And I fly a lot, and I had a lot to do with Jack getting into that. Now we both have our own airplanes and do our own thing. Do you still fly? I just gave up flyingI had over 20,000 hours, and I thought maybe I'd just [not fly and] poke around a bit. But I miss it. I may start back up again. Do you and Jack still play games out on the course? When you play the Masters Par 3 Contest, are there stakes? We always have a little game going at the Par 3. But just a little one. Like a $5 Nassau? [Smiles] Yeah, that's it. Will Tiger break Jack's record? It's going to be difficult, but the opportunity is there. The biggest challenge will be his attitudehis positive thinking. He has to get that back. I don't think there's any question about his physical ability as long as he's healthy. He just has to tie that ability back in to the mental aspect. I think he'll do it. He'll be back. I hear you have an iPad. Why aren't you on Twitter? I do have an iPad, but I don't think I'm going to do Twitter. I'm already learning too much from my iPad. Like what? [Laughs] Oh, I'm not going to reveal that. Do you still spend time in your workshop? Yep, I still enjoy that. When I have a problem, and I can't get it on the iPad, I go back to the shop and work it out back there fixing golf clubs. I'm making you PGA Tour commissioner for a day. What do you change? First would be speed of play, but the most important thing is to slow down the ball. I'm very concerned about preserving our great golf courses. The Oakmonts, the Winged Foots, the courses that were great in the years gone by. I'd like to keep them great without making so many changes to the golf courses themselves. You've just come in from a long day on the course. What are you drinking? Ketel One on the rocks [laughs]. Wait, what happened to the "Arnold Palmer"? I have one of those before I start. Tweet

Yani Tseng wins Women's British Open by 4 strokes

2011-08-01T15:20:00.001-07:00

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) Yani Tseng won the Women's British Open for the second straight year, beating Brittany Lang by four strokes Sunday and becoming the youngest woman to capture a fifth major title. The 22-year-old top-ranked Taiwanese shot a 3-under 69 to finish at 16-under 272. She trailed third-round leader Caroline Masson of Germany by two strokes entering the final round. Masson closed with a 78 to finish tied for fifth. "It's very special to win here at Carnoustie where so many great players have made history," said Tseng, who also won the LPGA Championship last month. "I was a little nervous before the start, but then I hit a good tee shot and I felt good. I feel that, having been in this position in a major a few times before, I am getting more mature and can handle the pressure better." Lang shot a 67 to finish at 276, one ahead of Sweden's Sophie Gustafson, who had a final round 68. South Korea's Amy Yang had a 67 and was fourth. Lang was tied for sixth entering the final day, eight behind Masson. She picked up just one stroke by the turn but the American bagged four birdies at Nos. 11, 12, 14 and 17. "I played great today," Lang said. "I made some really big par putts early on and from then on played fairly flawless golf. Tseng dropped a shot at the first hole with three putts, missing a 3-footer for par. She birdied the third with a pitching wedge to 2 feet and the long sixth with a chip to 5 feet to be out in 35. Playing alongside Masson, who was out in 39, Tseng had taken a firm grip by the turn. She was just short of the green off the tee at the par-4 11th and took two putts for a birdie, but then dropped a shot at two straight holes. She hit an 8-iron over the back of the green at 12 and then hit the pin off the tee on the short 13th but her ball stopped at the edge of a bunker. She stood in the sand to play her second shot. Tseng birdied the long 14th and finished with two birdies, holing from 20 feet on the 17th and hitting a majestic 9-iron to 3 feet at the last. "It's so great making history on this golf course and I feel wonderful right now," Tseng said. "It feels really good and I hope to keep winning. Next year there are another four majors and I will try and organize and keep working hard." Masson also ended with two birdies but had fallen into the pack, dropping four shots in the first three holes on the way home. She finished at 9 under alongside home favorite Catriona Matthew, the 2009 champion, who had a double-bogey 6 on the final hole after pulling her second shot to the green out of bounds. "She will learn from her mistakes and every great player goes through that," Tseng told the Press Association. "It's not a big deal. You try your best and I've lost lots of times too." Sweden's Anna Nordqvist tied for seventh at 280 with South Koreans Sun Young Yoo, Na Yeon Choi and Inbee Pak. American Stacy Lewis moved up the leaderboard with a 4-under 68, going from a share of 22nd overnight to a share of 11th at 281. Sweden's Maria Hjorth was at 282 after a 68 and Americans Katie Futcher and Cristie Kerr were in a group a stroke further back. Futcher equaled the best round of the week with a 64, including an eagle at the long 14th, followed by three birdies. Kerr had four birdies for a 68 to finish at 5 under. Paula Creamer dropped five strokes in the first five holes to be out in 40, then dropped three more on the back nine for a 79. Brittany Lincicome shot 73 to finish at 287 as did first-round leader Meena Lee, who closed with a 74 after opening with a 65 Thursday.