Clearwater wins Champions Tour Q-school

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — Two-time PGA Tour winner Keith Clearwater won the Champions Tour's national qualifying tournament Friday, closing with an even-par 72 in windy conditions at TPC Eagle Trace for a three-stroke victory over Lee Rinker, Frankie Minoza and Phil Blackmar.

The 51-year-old Clearwater finished at 16-under 272 to earn the first of five fully exempt spot on the 2011 tour. He shot a 9-under 63 on Thursday.

"It feels good to finish something and get it done," Clearwater said. "It was difficult today playing in this wind and every shot was hard; maybe five to 10 shots harder than yesterday. It meant having to make good choices and make a lot of 3-, 4-, and 5-footers. It was a tough day, so I was very pleased to make the putts when I needed to and keep that distance I had most of the day. This allows me to make my schedule for next year and play every week, so I'm looking forward to that."

Minoza shot a 67, Blackmar had a 68, and Rinker closed with a 72.

John Morse earned the fifth and final fully exempt spot, beating Robert Thompson and Roger Chapman with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff. Morse missed a 4-foot par putt on the final hole of regulation to drop into a tie with Thompson and Chapman at 12 under.

Chapman, Thompson, Mark Mouland, Jim Rutledge, Steve Haskins, J.L. Lewis and Fred Holton earned conditionally exempt status. The rest of the top 30 finishers and ties will be eligible to compete for spots in open qualifiers at all co-sponsored events.

Mathis wins to earn PGA Tour cardConfidence continues to build for rookie Gavin

PGA Tour Confidential: Hong Kong Open

Every week of the 2010 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.

POULTER'S PROSPECTS
Jim Gorant, senior editor, Sports Illustrated: Lot's o' stuff out there, but let's begin with the actual golf. Ian Poulter held on to win the Euro tour event in Hong Kong, tying a tour scoring record in the process. What do we make of Poulter? Is this who he is, a borderline top 10 guy with attention-getting pants, or does he have what it takes to do more?

Jim Herre, managing editor, SI Golf Group: Poulter has a ton of game but has been pretty much a no-show in the majors.

Rick Lipsey, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Poulter is a cool dude with big game. I love him.

Michael Bamberger, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Poulter has a ton of game, and I'd be surprised if he went 0-for-life in the majors.

Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: If I can trot out an NFL saying, he is who we think he is: brash, talented, chatty, bratty and, at times, brilliant. I think he'll nab a major — and have a few more fashion faux pas — before his career is done.

Farrell Evans, writer-reporter, Sports Illustrated: Poulter is another very good player, but he's not yet a great player. A lot of good players win majors when Tiger and Phil don't bring their best games. So he has to take advantage when he gets into contention.

Gary Van Sickle, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: Consistency apparently isn't Ian's strong suit. You never know when he'll decide to play well. For that reason, it's hard to pin down just how good he is. Certainly good enough to win a major, but that doesn't guarantee that he will.

David Dusek, deputy editor, Golf.com: I think he showed a lot at Royal Birkdale. All the attention was being paid to Greg Norman on Sunday, but Ian stormed back to finish solo second in 2008. Yes, that was two years ago, but in a new era of golf without a dominant player, I think Poulter's confidence will help him win a major someday.

Van Sickle: I'd agree with that. If you were forced to bet on whether Poulter will win a major, you'd definitely put your money on Yes He Will.

Jeff Ritter, senior producer, Golf.com: Had to look it up, and I was surprised Poulter is already 34. It's possible he hits his prime over next few years and maybe snags a major. Hard to imagine he'll ever climb to No. 1, as he brashly predicted a couple of years ago.

Van Sickle: I don't know, it's suddenly not so hard to get to No. 1. At least, not as hard as it used to be. Another thing about Poulter: Give him credit for his crazy fashion stuff because the Tour needs guys like that, Payne Stewart types who have personality and like to show it off. Even if Poulter never wins a major, his colorful aura is good for the game. He's entertaining.

Dusek: He's also got a good sense for business. The clothing he wears is made by his own brand, Ian Poulter Design. He's never going to make Tiger/Phil-level endorsements, but Ian's accountant has been busy this year.

MCDOWELL STUMBLES
Gorant: For the second week in a row, Graeme McDowell started the final round with a chance to win. In Hong Kong he shot himself in the foot with a two-over on the front nine. Should we begin to wonder if G-Mack has peaked?

Dusek: No. McDowell is coming to the end of a long, emotional breakout season. Multiple victories, a major win, a Ryder Cup — he's done it all this season. If he starts to run out of gas down the stretch, in late November, I don't think it's anything to worry about. He's now one of golf's elite players.

Hack: I agree with Dusek. Graeme is probably more worn out than anything. Kudos to him for scrapping this late into November.

Van Sickle: I don't think G-Mac was scrapping into November. I think the term is cashing in.

Bamberger: G-Mack's year was the U.S. Open and the Ryder Cup. So now we know he's not Tiger, somebody who always has his cleated foot on somebody's neck, ready to close the deal. I wouldn't read anything into what he does (or has done) since Wales.

Herre: I think he's coming into his prime. The numbers show that his stroke average has been trending down for the past several years and hit an all-time low this season. He'll be one of many Euros to watch in 2011.

Van Sickle: The guy has been a birdie machine ever since his days at Alabama-Birmingham. He's seemed like a can't-miss player for a long time, and now he has arrived.

Dusek: I don't see any reason why McDowell can't achieve everything someone like Padraig Harrington, another relatively late bloomer from Europe, has achieved.

KC's Espinoza reflects on his World Cup experiencePGA Tour Confidential: Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Poulter takes 2-stroke lead in Hong Kong Open

HONG KONG (AP) — Ian Poulter shot a 6-under 64 Saturday for a two-stroke lead through three rounds at the Hong Kong Open.

The Englishman followed up his second-round 60 by sinking birdies on the final two holes, pulling clear of U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell (63). Simon Dyson of England shot a 65 to trail by three strokes.

Poulter holed out from 20 feet for a birdie on 18 to a huge cheer from the crowd.

"With Graeme pressing and Simon pressing, you know, I wanted to make sure that I went into tomorrow with a little lead, so it was huge," Poulter said of his strong finish.

Poulter started with a birdie on the second and then eagled the 551-yard, par-5 third in his third straight round without a bogey.

McDowell shot the best round of the day. The Northern Irishman had an eagle on the 10th, driving the green on a hole that was shortened to 287 yards before making a long putt.

That began an impressive back nine that brought consecutive birdies at 13th, 14th and 15th.

Rory McIlroy (66)- runner-up in 2008 and 2009 - is four shots behind the leader along with American Anthony Kang (67).

Harrington ends drought, wins Iskandar Johor OpenGoats earn historic win in Houston

Bettencourt leads Pebble Beach Invitational

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — PGA Tour winner Matt Bettencourt shot an 8-under 64 at Del Monte on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead in the Pebble Beach Invitational, while Annika Sorenstam opened with a 69 at Del Monte in a rare competitive start since her retirement in 2008.

Bettencourt, the Reno-Tahoe Open winner in July who finished 114th on the 2010 money list, had two eagles, five birdies and a bogey in the Callaway Golf-sponsored tournament that features 76 male and female players.

"I started slow, but hit a great shot on No. 9 from about 250 yards to 12 feet and got the eagle," said Bettencourt, who tied for fourth in the tournament last year. "I didn't know I was in the lead, but I knew 64 or 65 was out here. Del Monte on a day like today is a pretty benign course."

Bettencourt birdied three of the final four holes, but missed a 15-inch birdie putt on the 14th.

"I was good round, although I left some putts out there," he said.

LPGA Tour player Morgan Pressel, PGA Tour veteran Bryce Molder and New York club pro Heath Wassen opened with 66s, also at Del Monte.

Five players, including Champions Tour player Tom Purtzer, shot 67s.

Ten of the top 11 opening-round scores were posted at Del Monte, which is used in rotation with Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach for the first three rounds. The final round will be played at Pebble Beach.

Defending champion Mark Brooks, the only three-time Pebble Beach Invitational winner, had a 77 at Del Monte. Juli Inkster, who in 1990 become only female player to win the event, shot a 2-under 70 at Pebble Beach.

The winner will receive $60,000 from the $300,000 purse.

Sorenstam makes rare appearance at Pebble BeachConfidence continues to build for rookie Gavin

Nine candidates keen to host 2015 Solheim Cup

DENHAM, England (AP) — The Ladies European Tour says nine candidates have declared an interest in hosting the Solheim Cup between Europe and the United States in 2015.

Six of the nine have made their bids public while the other three wish to remain anonymous after the deadline for applications passed Oct. 29.

Germany has bidders in Hamburg and Berlin while Spain has candidates in La Manga and an unspecified course on the Costa del Sol. The Prosper Golf Resort in Celadna, Czech Republic, and the Forest Pines Resort in Lincolnshire, England, also intend to bid.

The Tour will announce the winning bid in 2011.

The next edition of the biennial match will be in County Meath, Ireland, next year.

Report: GM negotiating to sponsor world eventGalaxy ready to head home after “tough week”

Woods rebuilding his image as crash anniversary nears

(AP) — Tiger Woods in on Twitter, and that's not all.

Newsweek posted an op-ed piece by Woods on Wednesday titled, "How I've Redefined Victory." He is scheduled to be a guest for two segments Thursday on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning."

As he approaches the one-year anniversary of a Thanksgiving night car accident that wrecked his image, these are some of the signs that Woods is entering a rebuilding stage.

"It's a positive step for him," said Mark Steinberg, his agent at IMG. "He's making the effort to do some things different."

Woods has had a Twitter account since June 2009 - his sign name, "Tiger Woods" was secured about a year before that - but the only tweets were to announce his Twitter page, Facebook page and a redesign of his website.

Then came a tweet at 11:08 a.m. Wednesday: "What's up everyone. Finally decided to try out twitter!"

Woods had just over 90,000 followers until that tweet. Within three hours, he had added over 40,000 more followers, adding them by the thousands each hour. A person confirmed that he was typing the tweet himself, and Woods added this: "Yep, it's me. I think I like this twitter thing. You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the love."

"Tiger wants to do some things a little differently moving forward," Steinberg said. "He wants to be a little more connected to the fans, and this is just one new addition."

Woods is identified at the bottom of the Newsweek op-ed piece as "founder of the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has helped educate more than 10 million kids."

He writes about how much is life was out of balance and his priorities were out of order a year ago, when he was caught in numerous extramarital affairs that cost him three major endorsements and eventually led to his divorce from Elin Nordegren.

"At first, I didn't want to look inward," Woods wrote. "Frankly, I was scared of what I would find - what I had become. But I'm grateful that I did examine my life because it has made me more grounded than I've ever been; I hope that with reflection will come wisdom."

Woods said he spends some evenings alone with his two children, and it's helping him appreciate what he had overlooked.

"Giving my son, Charlie, a bath, for example, beats chipping another bucket of balls. Making mac and cheese for him and his sister, Sam, is better than dining in any restaurant," he wrote.

He ends the op-ed piece by writing, "I'm not the same man I was a year go. And that's a good thing."

Steinberg said it has not been decided if Woods will make an appearance on television during the next few weeks.

Woods, who lost his No. 1 ranking two weeks ago to Lee Westwood, recently returned from two weeks of tournaments in Asia and Australia, where he posted consecutive top 10s for the first time this season, but didn't come close to winning either one. By failing to defend his title in the Australian Masters, it marked the first time in his career he went a calendar year without a win.

He next plays the week after Thanksgiving at his Chevron World Challenge, his final tournament of 2010.

Galaxy ready to head home after “tough week”Woods not surprised by drop in ranking

Sorenstam makes rare appearance at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF. (AP) — Annika Sorenstam will make a rare pro tournament appearance Thursday when she participates in the Pebble Beach Invitational.

The annual event held at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Del Monte Golf Course, is the only head-to-head, 72-hole competition among the men and women who compete on the four major professional tours.

Sorenstam retired from the LPGA Tour following the 2008 season, and she hasn't won since the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open on the Asian Pro Tour on Nov. 2, 2008. Six months earlier, Sorenstam won the last of her 72 LPGA titles at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill in Virginia.

Since her retirement, Sorenstam has played sporadically in invitational and charity tournaments. She finished tied for 12th on Oct. 12 in the Mission Hills Star Trophy in China.

Defending champion Mark Brooks, a seven-time PGA Tour winner, and about a dozen players among the top 125 on the tour's money list are entered in the $300,000 tournament.

Ryan Palmer, who last week in Florida completed his most successful PGA Tour season with a 19th-place finish at the Children's Miracle Network Classic, is the top player on the money list in the field. Palmer had five top-10 finishes, including his title at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, and was 17th in earnings with $2,985,296.

Brooks, whose last PGA Tour win was the 1996 PGA Championship, birdied the final three holes last year en route to a 3-under 69 and a two-stroke win over D.A. Points and Rickie Fowler.

Brooks, who will be eligible for the Champions Tour next March, also won the event 1993 and 2002. He also finished second in 1990 to Juli Inkster, the only woman to win the tournament.

Matt Bettencourt, Bill Lunde, Derek Lamely and Cameron Beckman, who all won PGA Tour events this season, are also in the field.

In addition to Sorenstam and Inskter, seven players among this season's top 30 on the LPGA money list are in the tournament. Morgan Pressel at No. 13 leads the field.

Tommy Armour III, who won the event in 2008 and 2009 while a member of the PGA Tour, is among eight Champions Tour entrants. Former U.S. Open winner Scott Simpson is also among the eight Champions Tour entrants.

Jamie Lovemark, the top money earner on this season's Nationwide Tour, will be among 17 Nationwide Tour entrants.

The low 40 professional scores and ties will advance after the 54-hole cut for the final round Sunday at Pebble Beach.

Goats earn historic win in HoustonMathis wins to earn PGA Tour card