Simpson takes big step toward money title

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

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

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

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 TIGER’S LATEST COMEBACK Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine : Welcome back to another round of PGA Tour Confidential. We’ve got a lot to get through, so let’s 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 Tiger’s 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 he’s 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 he’s 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 Freddy’s 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 wouldn’t 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 Couples’s back. Our Presidents Cup captain first said that TW didn’t have to prove anything to be a captain’s 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

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

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

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."