Yani Tseng's life couldn't be better. Now, let's talk

When I was preparing for the new season I knew there were huge expectations for me to play well. Last year I won two majors, the Kraft Nabisco and the Women's British Open, and became the youngest player to win three major championships. (I won the LPGA Championship during my rookie year, in 2008.) It was a huge honor to be awarded 2010 LPGA Player of the Year.

This year I had the pressure of playing my way to No. 1 in the world, which has been a dream of mine since I was 12. Another goal is winning this year's U.S. Women's Open, which, at 22, would make me the youngest player (male or female) to win a career Grand Slam. These are big deals, and there was only one person I could talk to who would understand.

I went to see former No. 1 Annika Sorenstam, who is not only my friend but also my role model. We met at her house in Florida in January, and I asked her for advice on how to handle the pressure. She told me that I can't be afraid and need to embrace the opportunity.

Annika's advice was helpful. I won my first four starts in 2011, and now I'm No. 1 in the Rolex World Rankings. In January I defended my title at the Taifong Ladies Open, an LPGA of Taiwan event. My mother, Yu-Yun Yang, was caddying for me, which made the victory even more special. A few weeks later I traveled to Australia to defend my title at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, and I won by seven shots. Before the final round I got an e-mail from Annika that said, "Great playing in Australia. Keep up the good work and bring it home." The next week I won the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters and moved to the top of the world ranking. I followed that up two weeks ago with a victory at the LPGA opener, in Thailand.

While I was there I was excited and proud that all four big newspapers from my native country of Taiwan covered the tournament. The local media gave me the nickname Queen of Golf. I laughed and said, "Thank you, but I don't think I'm there yet—I need to continue to work hard."

I feel honored to have a friend like Annika. At the 2008 Women's British Open she predicted that I would be No. 1 in four years. When the media told me what she said, I thought it was a joke. When I found out they were serious, I was in shock—my idol believed I was going to be No. 1.

Since I was 12 I wanted to be like Annika and play with her on the LPGA tour. Watching her on TV inspired me to practice and work hard to achieve my goals.

I actually live in Annika's old house at Lake Nona in Orlando. When I first saw the house in January 2009, I knew right away that I wanted to buy it. I think that's because it made me feel closer to Annika, who now lives about 300 yards down the street.

I went through a minislump for about two months in 2009 after I missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Open. When I became No. 1, I looked back to that time when I felt frustrated and shed many tears. I felt I had all the tools, but there was something missing in my game.

During my postseason meeting with my team, I expressed a desire to get advice from Annika. However, I was too nervous to approach her, so my longtime adviser, Ernie Hsu, reached out to her. Annika even offered to walk to my house. Over a bottle of good red wine, we talked for 2 1/2 hours. It was extremely generous of her to share her experiences with me, and to learn from the best player in the world was inspiring.

Annika chatted about putting the pieces together for success. She advised me to identify my strengths and weaknesses. Then I could work on my weaknesses and complete the puzzle. We discussed setting short-term goals, which were winning tournaments and improving my overall putting and driving-accuracy stats, along with long-term goals, such as winning Grand Slams and qualifying for the Hall of Fame. Annika also reminded me to focus on what I could control, such as staying in my own routine, and always being excited about the opportunity to compete. After Annika left that evening, I locked myself in the library and went through the notes I had taken. I was immersed in trying to understand and digest Annika's advice.

My playing style is different from Annika's—I'm more aggressive—but she has helped me a lot with the mental side of the game. I reached a turning point at last year's Women's British Open, where I overcame the pressure of going into the final round with the lead and won.

Annika sent me an e-mail the night before the final round, saying, "Great to see you on top of the leader board. That is were you belong. Keep up the good work, trust your ability and have fun!" I wrote these words in my yardage book. That Sunday at Royal Birkdale, I walked away with more than the trophy—I gained the confidence to truly believe I knew how to win and get to the next level mentally.

Annika is such a classy player and person, and I aspire to be like her not only inside the ropes but also outside them. I think giving back is important, so I'm looking forward to the Founders Cup (March 18-20, in Phoenix). The LPGA founders gave us a stage to show our talents and fulfill our dreams of playing golf professionally.

The Founders Cup will be another opportunity for me to connect with fans and share my story. I don't think most people know that I can speak English. Obviously, there are many Asians on the LPGA tour, and it's hard for fans to know who can speak English. I want American fans to know they can talk to me in English. I'm happy to have conversations and interact with them. I learned to speak English mostly by talking and listening to people when I turned pro and moved to the U.S. (I was 18 but had spent summers in America since I was 12.) I'm fearless, so I'm not afraid to talk with anyone, even if my English isn't perfect.

During the short off-season last December, I took a one-month English class, which was really fun. I learned a lot and improved my grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. I wish I could go back because I hope to perfect my English language skills, but I probably will have to wait until the end of the year.

I want to communicate better with fans, tell them how I played, about my plans for the season and convey how I'm feeling. I'd like to show them my personality. If you can't tell, I'm outgoing and bubbly, but I have a sensitive side too. I turned 22 in January, but I still want to be a good role model for younger people and junior golfers—just like Annika.

I'm living my dream and enjoying being No. 1—even though it still seems a little unreal—but I'm going to continue working hard because I want to finish the year atop the ranking. Now that I am No. 1 it's interesting to think back to the low points.

I can't wait to return to Orlando. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see Annika when I get back, so I can thank her personally.

The Tseng File
Age: 22
Homeland: Taiwan
Career highlights: Three-time major winner, including last year's Kraft Nabisco Championship and the Women's British Open.
Did you know? Turned down a $25 million endorsement from a company in China last year because it came with the stipulation that she change her citizenship to Chinese.
The latest: Has vaulted to No. 1 in the Rolex World Rankings on the strength of four straight victories on multiple tours in 2011, including the first event of the LPGA season.

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Q&A: Bolton midfielder Stuart HoldenHot this week? Rocco, Recari and Rickie. Not hot? Van Pelt, Lincicome, NorCal fans

Peter Uihlein's journey in the game has just begun

Golf has always been a part of my life. My parents have footage of me in a walker swinging a plastic club. If I didn't play golf, I would have been a baseball player. I could sit and watch baseball all day. The mentality of a golfer is like the mentality of a pitcher. If you're standing on the tee telling yourself, "Don't hit it there," or if you're standing on the mound saying, "Don't throw it down the middle," that's exactly what's going to happen.

I grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and I'm a huge Red Sox fan. I've probably been to Fenway 40 times. I've been pretty lucky as a sports fan because the Patriots have won Super Bowls and the Red Sox have won World Series during my lifetime. It was different for my parents, growing up with all those letdowns. My mom told me the story of watching the 1986 World Series. When the ball went through Buckner's legs, my dad left the room and went upstairs. She says he wasn't the same after that.

When I was 13 I told my dad I wanted to move to Florida to attend the IMG Academy. I wanted to be a golfer, and that's hard to do in New England where I could only practice half the year. I thought I was good enough to compete with the best players in the country. My dad was all for it, so we went after it. My mom moved to Florida with me, and my dad stayed north with my brother. I know it was difficult for my mother to have the family split up, and I'm thankful to her.

My dad is just like everybody else's dad. I see him as kind of a goofy guy with a great sense of humor. I try to get in a battle of wits with him, but he always gets me. I emulate him because I've never seen anyone work as hard as he does. Growing up, I would wake in the morning, and he would already be gone. He was the first one to leave the house every day. He started as a sales rep and worked his way up. He worked hard to get where he is. That's where I learned that there is no substitute for hard work. That's why I wanted to move to Florida, to play against guys who would push you every day and who never wanted to lose. Competition is the best way to get better.

The biggest adversity I ever faced was freshman year at Oklahoma State. Karsten Creek [Oklahoma State's home course] is still probably one of the hardest courses I'll ever play. You stand on a tee, and it looks like you're trying to hit it down a train track. From a mentality standpoint, I wasn't ready to handle a golf course like that. It was difficult.

Plus, the team was loaded. Rickie Fowler. Morgan Hoffmann. Trent Leon. Kevin Tway, Bob's son. John McLean, Jim's son. We had three guys exempt, and the rest of us were playing for two spots. And nobody could beat Kevin at Karsten; he's been playing there since he was a pup. To get hit with that freshman year took some getting used to, but I finally did. In the spring I started playing well. I tied for eighth at a tournament at Texas A&M. Four weeks later came the NCAA South Central Regional at Karsten. I finished second to Tway. At the time that was probably one of the greatest tournaments I had played.

When I got picked for the 2009 Walker Cup team, yeah, I heard those snickers that I didn't deserve it. It was hard not to. But that just goes back to my mentality. I'm not out to prove anyone wrong. I play because I love playing. When my coach told me I was playing all four matches, I built some confidence off of that. [Uihlein went 4-0.] The thing I remember most was playing a nine-hole practice round with Fowler and Hoffmann. It was just the three of us, and we knew it'd be the last time we'd all be together because Rick was turning pro. We had so much fun playing. Then we went out and won 16 1/2 to 9 1/2. The three of us like to say it was Oklahoma State 10 1/2, GB&I 9 1/2.

What ever happens I've decided to stay four years at Oklahoma State. I just love it. When you play golf for OSU you're representing a golf tradition that's second to none. I've always equated OSU golf to Duke basketball. That's what tradition is, to win all the time, to be the best and have everyone gunning for you. I love that. In Oklahoma, when you go to a restaurant and have on a Cowboys shirt, people come up and talk to you and ask you how the season's going.

I still get goose bumps when I think about winning last summer's U.S. Amateur. Having my brother and my parents there—and that it happened on my birthday—was pretty crazy. That week always flashes back to me. I can't wait to go to the Masters and see Phil Mickelson up close [the Amateur champ plays with the Masters champ for the first two rounds] and see in person how he hits shots. The guy is one of the greatest players of our time, and I'm looking forward to seeing his game and seeing how I measure up and where I need to improve. I know you have to work the ball both ways and that Augusta is long and wide, so I feel as if it sets up well for me. I'm always working the ball and hitting different shots.

I had my U.S. Amateur trophy at Karsten forever, but now I have it in my room. I never really looked at it until about a week ago. The history of it, seeing the names on it, is just crazy. Woods. Mickelson. And, being a New England boy, seeing Francis Ouimet up there? Now that's pretty cool.

The Uihlein File
Age: 21
Hometown: New Bedford, Mass.
Career highlights: 2010 U.S. Amateur champion and a member of the victorious 2009 U.S. Walker Cup team.
Did you know? His father, Wally, is the chairman and CEO of Acushnet, the company that owns Titleist and FootJoy. When Peter was nine he beat Brad Faxon while playing from the forward tees at the Country Club of New Bedford.
The latest: Uihlein led Oklahoma State to a third-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 22. He tied for fourth in the individual competition with a seven-under 209.

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Q&A: Bolton midfielder Stuart HoldenThe world’s best players are banned from using rangefinders. Seriously?

Highlights and (foolish) predictions for Wednesday's smorgasbord of 32 matches

MARANA, Ariz. — With apologies to the noisemakers at the Waste Management Phoenix Open's infamous 16th hole, the gang hanging around the margarita-maker at the Colonial Country Club, and the swells sipping vintage wine in the Lodge at Pebble Beach while looking out at golf's most majestic view, the World Match Play Championship is the most fun week of the year. Major championships and team events excluded, of course.

The reason is that match play is the most entertaining form of golf competition. Better still, it almost always gets personal.

Yes, match play has its flaws. At this level, players don't have enough time to separate themselves from an opponent in only 18 holes. That means predicting winners is a crapshoot since any player among the world's 64 best can post a 64 on any given day. The word "upset" should be banned this week. Second, a stroke-play tournament requires a player to beat an entire field over 72 holes. In this event, a player must defeat only six players to win the title and there's a good chance Tiger Woods or Lee Westwood or anyone else ordained as the world's No. 1 player won't be among them.

So match play doesn't necessarily make for great champions, but it does make for great entertainment. Here are some highlights and (foolish) predictions for Wednesday's smorgasbord of 32 matches:

Tiger Woods vs. Thomas Bjorn: The spotlight is always on Tiger in this event where he has had great success (he's won three times) and also glaring failures. Tiger doesn't like desert golf, but his game is reportedly coming around and nobody takes defeat more personally than him. He might be coming into this one with a chip on his shoulder. That said, Tiger's recent play has been dazzling only in its wild inconsistency. Meanwhile, Bjorn made his comeback official by winning on the European Tour earlier this year. He is not easily intimidated and he's playing well. For that reason, the mildly surprising pick here is Bjorn.

Geoff Ogilvy vs. Padraig Harrington: The winner of this match faces the winner of Tiger's match. Now that's a tough way to start off a tournament. Harrington usually doesn't play well this early in the year as he's still in tinkering mode and Ogilvy, a two-time champion, has basically owned this tournament since it moved to the desert. Gotta be Ogilvy.

Martin Kaymer vs. Seung-yul Noh: Your PGA Champion is also the No. 1 player in the world, according to the Golf.com media voter poll. This course is well-suited to a bomber like Kaymer, and he loves desert golf. Noh, a promising young Korean, is probably the best player in the world you've never heard of. It wouldn't be shocking if Noh stunned the German-he's that good. But Kaymer gets the nod.

Dustin Johnson vs. Mark Wilson: Call it battle of David and Goliath, Mutt and Jeff, or Cagney and Lacey. Wilson, the pride of Wisconsin, has already won two Tour events this year playing his curd-loving brand of small ball. This course totally favors Johnson, who is as long as anybody on Tour. There will be two surprises on Wednesday. First surprise: Johnson makes it to the first tee on time this week. Second surprise: Wilson takes him down with bodacious putting as he goes for a third win to kick off what we may someday call the "Mark Wilson Era."

Zach Johnson vs. Justin Rose: Great putters are tough to beat in match play. This could be a quick match as a lot of second putts won't be necessary. The Zach Attack is tough in match play, but Rose broke through last year and is on his way to big things, maybe even this week.

Rory McIlroy vs. Jonathan Byrd: McIlroy might be overrated at No. 7 in the world based on what he's done as opposed to how he's looked while doing it. Byrd is underrated and already has a win this year. Byrd flies off with this one.

Hunter Mahan vs. Sean O'Hair: The battle of the American young-ish guns. This could be a good one. Flip a coin, but give Mahan the edge based on his play so far this season.

Ernie Els vs. Jeff Overton: Ernie was all but unbeatable in match play during the first half of his pro career. But La Costa drove him bonkers and he hasn't done well in the desert. Overton is one of those pesky great putters who's so hard to defeat in match play, but experience will be the difference for Els.

Charl Schwartzel vs. Ryo Ishikawa: A showdown between two guys who can rightly be called "the future of the game." Ryo, who put up a 58 in a win last year in Japan, will have an army of Japanese media following his every move and they'll have plenty to like. It's Ishikawa.

Steve Stricker vs. Matteo Manassero: The crafty veteran from Edgewood, Wis., has played the best golf of his life the last five years. Now he meets up with the 17-year-old Italian whom some have compared to Seve Ballesteros. Manassero is impressive and if Stricker gets past him, he'll face another young gun in Schwartzel or Ryo. There's a good chance the sum of the ages of his first two opponents will be less than the fortysomething Stricker, since he's going to take down all comers.

Ian Poulter vs. Stewart Cink: Bet you never thought this would be considered a marquee matchup one day. But Poulter won this event in impressive style a year ago and Cink backed up some fine match-play efforts with a British Open title two years ago. Cink is tough to handle in this event, but Poulter prevails in a battle of wills.

Graeme McDowell vs. Heath Slocum: You can make a strong case that McDowell is actually the world's No. 1 player, but Slocum is a quiet, underrated competitor who will put up an excellent fight. This one has surprise potential, but McDowell moves on.

Lee Westwood vs. Henrik Stenson: When Stenson won this tournament a few years back, he looked like the No. 1 player in the world. His game has slipped badly the last two years and he only just squeaked into this field after Toru Taniguchi withdrew. He's posted only one score in the 60s this year. Enjoy your quick exit at the hands of mighty Westwood.

Nick Watney vs. Anthony Kim: Kim has something to prove after missing part of last season with a thumb injury and being passed over for the Ryder Cup team. Kim advances.

Phil Mickelson vs. Brendan Jones: Meet the unluckiest Aussie in the world. First, he drew Tiger Woods in an opening-round WGC match during Woods' first post-surgery tournament in 2009. Now he gets Phil. Hey, he's just happy to be among the top 64. Phil's presence this week is a nice surprise for everyone, since he had strongly hinted he wouldn't play this week. Can't let him go home after only one match — what else would Golf Channel have to talk about? Mickelson moves on.

Louis Oosthuizen vs. Bo Van Pelt: The man affectionately known as "Shrek," your reigning British Open champion, is no one-hit wonder. Look for Oosthuizen to take it deep this week, if only to torment those golf writers who rely on spell check.

Rickie Fowler vs. Peter Hanson: Meet the sleeper pick to win it all this week. Yes, that's him disguised as the Orange Dreamsicle or maybe the Pink Flamingo. Hey, it looks good on him. Fowler is a match-play ace and, like Poulter last year, this tournament is a great chance for him to score his breakthrough win in the U.S.

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Mickelson, Westwood paired at HSBC ChampionsNowak confirms Union in market for players

Clark withdraws with elbow injury

MARANA, Ariz. (AP) — Tim Clark has withdrawn from the Match Play Championship because of an elbow injury and been replaced in the 64-man field by J.B. Holmes.

Because the brackets have been set, Holmes will take Clark's position in the draw. He will face Camilo Villegas in the opening round.

Clark won The Players Championship a year ago and was the No. 22 seed. He has not played since he tied for second in the Sony Open at Honolulu last month.

Holmes has played the Accenture Match Play Championship only one time, losing to Tiger Woods on the 18th hole in the opening round.

Francesco Molinari to play in Match Play after allQ&A: Bolton midfielder Stuart Holden

PGA Tour Confidential: The Northern Trust Open

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.

COUPLES AND THE HALL OF FAME
Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Welcome back to Hogan's Alley, which this week nearly became the Couples Corner. We are pleased to be joined by Tom Patri, one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 teachers and someone who has known Fred Couples since they competed in the 1980 NCAA Championships at Ohio State.

Fred has teased us a few times recently — at Riviera and Augusta National in particular — and he is the unquestioned big dog of the Champions Tour. At 51, his star power remains undimmed. Is he already a Hall of Famer, with 15 wins, including the Masters and two Players Championships, or does he need a final flourish?

Patri: The Masters, two Players, 15 Tour wins, Presidents Cups, Ryder Cups, Presidents Cup captain... come on, he's a lock. Plus, he's Freddie.

Morfit: I think he's done enough, and the fact that he's done it for so long helps, too. You could also argue that there are lesser players than Fred already in the Hall.

Alan Shipnuck, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Every Hall of Fame has guys who aren't quite worthy. They shouldn't be the standard. Being a nice guy and charismatic are also not relevant.

Click here to submit a question for Alan's next mailbag.

Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: Strictly on golf, he probably shouldn't be, but the guy is beloved by golf writers, so he's a lock.

Stephanie Wei, contributor, SI Golf+: Freddie's an automatic HOFer. It's amazing how talented and cool that guy is without putting in any effort. Or hardly any.

Shipnuck: He's not a Hall of Famer, except in the category of unfulfilled potential. Everyone loves Fred, and he's had a very good career, but I don't think he's Hall worthy.

Tom Patri, Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher: Unfulfilled potential! Spoken like a true 15-handicapper. Armchair athletes have no clue how good Fred's kind of good is.

Shipnuck: And Fred has no idea how hard it is to write 2,000 words in 12 hours for millions of readers.

Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group : And we armchair athletes do the voting.

Patri: That's why players should vote players in — because they know who has the stuff.

Gorant: It's not about who has the stuff. It's about who has the results.

Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I'd agree that Fred probably comes up short for the Hall on his golf. I wouldn't count on him to get in by the writers, because I'm not so sure the percentage of voters who are writers is that huge. Given that the Tour has made the Hall induction into an annual ceremony and TV show, they are going to need inductees every year. Fred will get in because the number of remaining legit Hall candidates has seriously dwindled. That's why Davis Love and Mark O'Meara and probably Colin Montgomerie will all get in eventually, too.

Morfit: He could have won a lot more than he did, but you could say that about any bold-name Tour pro, including Jack.

Gorant: The point is, Jack did win more. A lot more. So have many of the others in the Hall. This guy could have been one of the all-time greats.

Herre: Cam, I don't doubt that Couples will get in, and probably soon. But he's the very model of the type of golfer you described in your recent Dustin Johnson column. Big talent, doesn't take responsibility.

Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: Could you tell the story of professional golf in the last 25 years without talking about Fred Couples? No. That's why he belongs in the Hall of Fame despite a borderline resume.

Hack: That's a great point. Can you write the history of the game without him? Probably not.

Mark Godich, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: I don't know about that.

Van Sickle: I'm with Godich. Could you write the history without Fred? Probably. Could you write it without his ex-roommate, Jim Nantz? Probably not. The numbers don't lie. Fred's victories don't stack up favorably against very many of the current HOF residents.

Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Doug Ford had to wait 40 years with much better credentials. Few golfers have been more fun to watch than Fred, but I don't see him as a Hall of Famer, not yet.

Farrell Evans, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Freddie's career is comparable to those of Payne Stewart (8 wins, 3 majors), Hubert Green (17 wins, 2 majors), Lanny Wadkins (21 wins, 1 major) and Larry Nelson (7 wins, 3 majors). All those guys are in the Hall of Fame. So why not Couples?

Herre: I agree that Fred's a marginal HOFer and one of the great underachievers. Before the back went out, he was constantly in contention but couldn't close. As Michael Bamberger pointed out today on Golf.com, Couples needs to take some senior tour scalps to get over the top.

Van Sickle: I disagree with Mr. Herre that anything Fred does in senior golf would get him over the top. Nothing that happens there changes whether he's in the HOF or not.

Morfit: What do you get for getting into the Hall of Fame, anyway? A T-shirt? I'd rather get into Augusta every year, and Fred has that.

Hack: Fred also would have won a lot more with a good back. Sandy Koufax made the Hall of Fame despite retiring at 30 because of arthritis. I wonder if injury should be factored into Fred's career, too.

Bamberger: Sandy Koufax completely dominated his era, brief though it was. Al Geiberger and Ken Venturi and Tony Lema were great talents who fate treated unkindly. Hall of Fame voting is based on what you did, not what you might have done.

Tell us what you think: Is Couples a lock for the Hall of Fame?

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Braun, Goats finally snap winless streakPGA Tour Confidential: HSBC Champions

Baddeley wins at Riviera

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Finally a winner again, Aaron Baddeley raised his arms when his last putt dropped into the cup Sunday in the Northern Trust Open as his wife and two young daughters came over to share the moment.

They might have been among the few cheering him on at Riviera.

Baddeley could hear chants of "Freddie!" at every turn, and it got even louder when Fred Couples birdied the opening three holes to take the lead. Unfazed, Baddeley cared only about a victory that was just as meaningful to him.

"I thought Freddie was going to be tough today because winning is a skill, and Freddie has been winning quite often recently," Baddeley said. "When he got off to a good start, I was like, 'Freddie looks like he's going to have one of those days where he's going to play great.' I was still just trying to focus on my game, and try to do what I needed to do."

He did just enough.

In a battle of generations, the 29-year-old Australian made his best putt after his only big mistake and closed with a 2-under 69 to hold off Vijay Singh and Couples, and win for the first time in four years.

Baddeley wound up with a two-shot win over Singh, who turns 48 on Tuesday. The big Fijian closed with a 69 for his best finish in more than two years. Couples, who still had hope on the 16th, bogeyed two of the last three holes and shot 73 to tie for seventh in his bid to become the PGA Tour's oldest winner in more than 35 years.

"I'm a golfer, so I'm disappointed," Couples said.

With his tender back, it only took one hole for the 51-year-old Couples to fall apart. Tied for the lead, he pushed his tee shot into the barranca to the right of the seventh fairway in grass so thick he had trouble finding his ball. Couples gave it a ferocious whack, and the ball came out to the left and into a bunker. He wound up making double bogey, a three-shot swing when Baddeley holed a 20-footer for birdie from the fringe.

"I just didn't feel the same after that," Couples said. "I didn't really hurt myself, but I never hit a shot, and I just got it around. I mean, I couldn't hit an iron. I hit a few good drives, but I was afraid to hit the ground, hitting it that hard out of that stuff. I did get off to a good start, and that was where it ended.

"It's nothing bad," he said. "I'm not having any excuse. It's just after that point, I never hit a shot."

It was the third career PGA Tour win for Baddeley, whose game had slipped so much that he had plunged to No. 224 in the world. This isn't enough to get back into the top 50, but at least he can book a trip to Augusta National in April for the Masters.

Singh, who only three weeks ago had fallen out of the top 100 in the world for the first time in more than 21 years, had his highest finish since he won the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2008 on his way to the FedEx Cup. Despite back-to-back bogeys on the back nine, he gave himself a chance to the very end.

Singh said it was the best week with the putter in his career, which would include his 2000 Masters victory. He took only 105 putts for the week, including just one three-putt in the second round.

"That's a great, great thing to have when you're putting well," Singh said. "I haven't done that for a long, long time. This is going to get me some places."

Baddeley, who finished at 12-under 272, won for the first time since the 2007 Phoenix Open. He had been one of the early proponents of the "Stack & Tilt" swing method until deciding to go back to his old teacher, Dale Lynch, two years ago. His goal was to be able to move the ball both ways without having to think about it, and the swing held up just fine on a sunny afternoon along Sunset Boulevard.

"To be honest, it felt like coming home," Baddeley said of his return to Lynch, his first coach as a teenager in Australia. "Dale and I have spent a lot of hours together, and at times it's been frustrating, but like I said, that end product ... we knew what we were working toward, and that was the key."

Kevin Na made good putts on the last two holes for a 71 that put him alone in third place.

Couples was showing his age on the practice range, where his back is so tender that he only warms up with a driver and fairway metals to stay more upright. With a driver in hand, he teed up two balls at a time to keep from stooping over.

On the course, he looked like the Couples of old.

Couples opened with three straight birdies to bring Riviera to life, just like the old days. He chipped in for birdie from just off the second green, pointing his club to the cup with his left hand in a pose that has become familiar over the years. Then came a 20-foot birdie on the third to give him the outright lead.

But it started to come undone on the par-3 sixth, where the tee was moved forward and the pin was front and right, away from the bunker in the middle of the green. He flared it to the right and missed a 4-foot par putt.

And then came what he called a "comedy of errors" on the seventh.

Equipped with the lead, Baddeley never let it go. His only mistake was hitting into the trees on consecutive shots and missing a 2 1/2-foot putt to take double bogey on the 12th. Baddeley responded swiftly, making a 20-foot birdie putt from the fringe with 8 feet of break.

He made pars the rest of the way, and no one could catch him.

"It's definitely been a couple of long years, but it was worth every bit," Baddeley said. "I really feel that the last couple years is actually what made it easier today ... the character that was just built in me."

Couples back in the hunt at RivieraConfidence continues to build for rookie Gavin

Couples back in the hunt at Riviera

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fred Couples was being shuttled down the hill at Riviera in a cart when he received a text from Tiger Woods.

Couples didn't share the message, only the reply.

"I texted him back when I was coming down here," Couples said after a 5-under 66 gave him a two-shot lead in the Northern Trust Open. "I said, 'I do love this place, but if you played here, you'd win 10 times.' And he didn't send me too polite of a text after that."

Woods stopped playing Riviera after 2006. As much as he loves the course, he only had one good chance to win.

"I'm shocked that he doesn't play here, but I guess he doesn't play well here, which I don't know why," Couples said.

That clearly isn't the case with Couples.

Even at 51, with a back so tender that it hurts to stoop over a short iron, Couples can play Riviera. He showed that over the past two days, opening with a 68 and then doing even better Friday before the rain arrived. With an eagle putt of nearly 100 feet, and two birdies of at least 30 feet, he made it around without a bogey to build a two-shot lead.

Rain and wind in the afternoon, long after Couples had left the course at 8-under 134, made it tough on everyone else.

When the second round was completed Saturday morning, Couples remained on top by two shots. It was his first 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour since 2004 in the old Buick Classic at Westchester.

Aaron Baddeley birdied the 18th hole for a 69, while Spencer Levin parred his last four holes for a 69. They were at 6-under 136 along with J.B. Holmes and John Senden, who finished their rounds of 69 on Friday.

The group at 5-under 137 included strong efforts by Stewart Cink and Trevor Immelman, who each shot 67 in the worst of the weather. Immelman didn't make a par over the last five holes - instead, he made four birdies and a bogey.

But the show belonged to Couples, who is playing this event for the 29th time and says, "I feel like I can play this course blindfolded."

Some of his peers couldn't believe what they saw.

"He played like he was my age," said 25-year-old Anthony Kim, who was paired with Couples and was nine shots behind. "He was loose, swinging hard. He hit some quality shots, some aggressive shots. It doesn't hurt that he's won here a couple of times. He just knows what he's doing out here."

Couples first played Riviera three years before Kim was born. He won in 1990 and 1992, back when his hair was brown, not mostly gray, and when he didn't have to get up at 4 a.m. to stretch out his back so he could make it to the first tee.

Paul Casey, who had a 67 and was four shots back, played in the group behind Couples. Asked how it felt to trail a 51-year-old who can barely bend over to tie his shoes, Casey started laughing.

"Every time I looked ahead, he's stretching his back, his hand is on his hip," Casey said. "We all know Freddie. He looks like he doesn't care. He looks like he's in pain. He could be on any score. And the fact he's on 8 under is brilliant."

Phil Mickelson struggled with his irons on his way to a 70 that put him seven shots behind, although not terribly worried.

"I'm not pleased being in the position where I'm at, but it could be a lot worse," Mickelson said. "And I should be within striking distance if I can go out and shoot some hot round tomorrow."

That he would be trying to catch up to Couples was surprising given his age and his health.

Such is his affection for Riviera that Couples didn't think twice about playing this week - even though he is the defending champion at the Champions Tour event in Naples, Fla.

"I don't think anyone is mad. Besides Augusta, it's my favorite spot," Couples said. "I don't think it's a slap in the face if they just look where I live and my schedule and how I play here. It would take two seconds to figure it out."

Couples not only has two wins at Riviera, he has four top 10s in the past decade and nearly had a chance to win two years ago until he butchered a 9-iron into the 18th with a chance to put pressure on Mickelson.

He was 49, and that figured to be his last chance to win on tour.

Yet here he is again, twisting and stretching, taking left-handed baseball swings with his putter while trying to keep loose. The hardest part for Couples after his round was climbing the 100-foot hill toward the clubhouse to sign his card.

When the tour asked him to visit The Golf Channel's booth, Couples said, "Can't do it."

"I'm ready for a nap," he said.

Riviera can make him feel young, but not to the point where he's going to act like he belongs in this generation.

Couples still doesn't know what Facebook is all about. Remember, it was only two years ago that he started sending text messages.

As for Twitter? Uh, no.

"If I did Twitter, would I tell people that I'm heading home and then going to eat at California Pizza Kitchen? Is that what you do? Or do you actually tweet information?" he said. "Well, what information do I have for my 500,000 followers? I'm 51. I live in the desert. They all know that already.

"If you guys write well enough, they'll know that I'm in good shape going into tomorrow. I don't need to tweet anybody."

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