SUGAR GROVE, Ill. - You knew Morgan Pressel couldn’t get through the interview without tears. Pressel’s 3-and-2 victory over Anna Nordqvist gave the Americans the 14th point they needed to retain the Solheim Cup.
“I’m still speechless,” said Pressel as she got choked up.
Bring out the tissues. Every person the Golf Channel interviewed down the stretch got emotional, including Beth Daniel, Alison Nicholas and Christina Kim.
Catriona Matthew, the stoic Scot who played superbly all week, was the first to keep it together.
No surprise there.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 23
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Janice Moodie and Natalie Gulbis each hit a tee shot on the 18th hole and then agreed to leave the match all square. Fitting end to a hard-fought week.
The LPGA needed this boost.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 23 SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – When it was over and Juli Inkster had fought back to earn a half-point for the victorious U.S. team in the Solheim Cup, one of the first people she embraced was her longtime friend, Meg Mallon, who served as one of captain Beth Daniel’s assistants.
It was noteworthy on a couple of fronts. Six times they were teammates in the Solheim Cup and when you talk about leading candidates for the next captain, they are the first names mentioned.
What seems to be the leading scenario is this: Mallon will be the captain for 2011 in Ireland with Inkster as an assistant, then Inkster taking over the reign for 2013 in Colorado.
Inkster said to reporters that she was done as a player after nine go-rounds and 31 overall matches. But standing nearby, her teammates, her two daughters, and her husband all offered smiles and head shakes. None of them are discounting the 51-year-old Inkster being a player two years from now.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 23
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – She was there at the beginning of the Solheim Cup, 1990, and she was there again at Rich Harvest Farm to watch in person for the 11th edition.
No surprise, however, that the most proficient winner of them all, Kathy Whitworth, chose the shadows rather than the spotlight. That is the nature of this Hall of Famer who 19 years ago was the U.S. captain in the first Solheim Cup.
“Just kind of threw it together,” Whitworth said. “Heck, we only had eight players on each team.”
Her approach that year? Whitworth laughed. “Best advice I ever got was, ‘play like with like.’ ”
That’s why Betsy King was paired with Beth Daniel (“They had similar games,” Whitworth said) but when it came to Cathy Gerring and Dottie Pepper, well, Whitworth concedes she didn’t know much about either player.
“Turns out they were perfect, both fierce competitors. They annihilated people.”
Pepper, who was at Rich Harvest Farms working for The Golf Channel, won a foursomes match alongside Gerring, then beat Marie-Laure de Lorenzi in singles. Gerring, who walked every hole of Juli Inkster’s stirring win, won her singles match over Helen Alfredsson that year.
“We were a great team. It was a great time,” Gerring said.
As for Whitworth, 69, when the celebration started, she stayed in the background, but the American players knew she was there. Which got you wondering: Think Tiger Woods will walk along with the young American men at the 2046 Ryder Cup when he’s 70?
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 23
Can’t ask for much more than what the Solheim Cup has delivered these past three days. The quality of golf has been high, and the matches cannot get any closer, even midway through the Sunday singles. Great stuff.
There's one thing that drives me bonkers in these matches, though – and pick a cup, any cup (Ryder, Presidents or Solheim): Should today’s play result in a 14-all deadlock, why should the U.S. retain the cup? I mean, the U.S. won the cup two years ago with a vastly different team, in a different place, defeating a different band of European players.
The Presidents Cup had the right idea early on, coming up with a playoff to decide a winner each time around. This was going to be a great point of differentiation from its big brother Ryder Cup. In the 2003 matches in South Africa, watching Tiger Woods and Ernie Els going head-to-head with the Presidents Cup on the line as darkness set in at Fancourt was one of the most exciting scenes in golf I have witnessed in 20 years covering the game. High drama.
It was deemed, however, to be a tad TOO exciting, apparently, as PGA Tour officials later decided that was simply too much to place on the shoulders of two men. So can’t we come up with some system that uses three, or even five players to produce a winner?
For if Europe rallies for a 14-14 result today, the team should not leave empty-handed for its efforts. And the great fans who have packed Rich Harvest Farms for three days deserve as much, too.
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 23
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – For an opening act in Sunday’s singles at the Solheim Cup, you’ve got to give the ladies credit. Paula Creamer against Suzann Pettersen is the match you want to see.
Best against best.
After Angela Stanford takes on Becky Brewerton in the second match, U.S. captain Beth Daniel has shown her faith in 19-year-old Michelle Wie by putting her out third against Helen Alfredsson.
With the teams tied at 8-8, the Americans need 6 points to retain the cup.
The lineup, with the matches beginning at 11:05 a.m.:
Paula Creamer vs. Suzann Pettersen
Angela Stanford vs. Becky Brewerton
Michelle Wie vs. Helen Alfredsson
Brittany Lang vs. Laura Davies
Juli Inkster vs. Gwladys Nocera
Kristy McPherson vs. Catriona Matthew
Brittany Lincicome vs. Sophie Gustafson
Nicole Castrale vs. Diana Luna
Cristie Kerr vs. Maria Hjorth
Morgan Pressel vs. Anna Nordqvist
Natalie Gulbis vs. Janice Moodie
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Paula Creamer called sitting out this afternoon one of the hardest thing she’s ever done.
Could she have gone five matches on this lengthy track?
“Without a doubt,” said Creamer on the 18th green Saturday evening. “If you can’t go out and play five matches at the Solheim, you shouldn’t be out here. Everybody wants to play five, but it is what it is.”
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – B.J. Wie rarely talks to the media. And by rarely I mean almost never gets quoted. He’ll exchange pleasantries about the weather, but isn’t interested in talking about his daughter.
It seems Michelle isn’t the only one who has loosened up this week. After Michelle helped the U.S. tie up the Cup with a 1-up victory on the 18th green, B.J. talked.
“She’s using her instinct,” said B.J., who feels this experience will help Michelle in the long-term. She’s clearly having more fun than on the golf course than ever before.
“She’s more accepted by the team,” said B.J.
Everyone likes a winner. – Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – A darling little fan today held up the sign of the week: When I grow up I want Paula to be my captain.
It was a rough day for Paula Creamer, who sat out for the first time in her Solheim Cup career during the morning session. In the afternoon, she and Juli Inkster lost their first foursomes match. Their record is now 3-1.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Brittany Lang didn’t realize how long the days would run at the Solheim Cup. The rookie is used to keeping to herself during tournament weeks, rarely going out to dinner with other players or leaving her hotel room, other than to hit the gym.
But she’s thoroughly enjoying her time at the Solheim Cup, particularly her 24th birthday celebration. The crowds sang to her on practically every hole.
“I’m having a blast,” Lang said. “I’m really enjoying being social.”
Lang shares a suite this week with Natalie Gulbis, Angela Stanford and Christina Kim. The Texan has roughly 30 friends and family members here this week.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – How are the European moms handing this week? Maria Hjorth has her baby, Emily, staying with her parents. The grandparents brought Emily out to see Maria in between sessions on Friday, but there isn’t much time for family this week. Her husband, Shaun McBride, is caddying for Suzann Pettersen and stays with his wife on the compound.
Catriona Matthew and her husband, Graeme, left their two girls back in Scotland with the grandparents.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Natalie Gulbis just got a tremendous break in afternoon foursomes when her shot from under the trees on the sixth hole hit a boom mic and bounced back on the green. (The boom mic is that furry-looking thing that looks like a cat.)
Is anyone surprised that it’s Gulbis who got the TV break?
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – History was made today at the Solheim Cup. Just not the sort of history one would have expected – the first day a Solheim Cup proceeded without Laura Davies.
The icon of women’s golf in Europe, Davies was on the team when the Solheim Cup debuted in 1990 and while she’s missed sessions before, never has she been sidelined for an entire day.
Yet, there was the 45-year-old Davies behind greens, at tee boxes, and riding in carts to cheer on her teammates. She didn’t play in either the morning four-ball or afternoon foursomes.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – When they decided on which holes Morgan Pressel would drive, the Americans might not have realized the matchup they were getting in the second match of the afternoon foursomes. But when she stepped to the first tee, Pressel was involved in as big a mismatch in Solheim Cup history.
In this corner, averaging 266.9 off the tee, from Sweden, Suzann Pettersen.
And in this corner, averaging 240.7 off the tee, from Florida, Morgan Pressel.
No surprise, Pettersen ripped it 50 yards further at the first hole, though Helen Alfredsson’s poor second shot enabled the American to at least halve the hole.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 22
GREENSBORO, N.C. – How bad is the second storm of the day here at the Wyndham Championship? Well, you may have seen the lights go off during David Feherty’s interview with Freddie Couples. But, for the record, the television in the media center also went down for a minute or so.
Stories of the day? So far, rain – and Riley. As in your leader Chris Riley, who sent his 9-iron from 164 yards on the par-4 first hole into the hole for eagle.
“Yeah, that was pretty good speed,” he joked.
Riley, who started the day for tied for the lead with Jeff Maggert and Ryan Moore, now has a one-shot lead over Sergio Garcia, through four and five holes, respectively. Couples is currently third, another shot back.
So Riley is your leader in the clubhouse, for now, as the lightning bolts continue to light up the afternoon sky.
(Chances he’ll leave the clubhouse any time soon? Eh...) – Eric Soderstrom Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Surely, you’ve heard a thousand analysts talk about the “ebb and flow” of match play. Heck, maybe a million analysts have talked about it.
Which makes sense. It’s true.
Case in point: The morning session of four-ball at the Solheim Cup. At one point it looked as if the Americans were going to take three of four points and open up a 3-point overall lead.
So, what happened? The Europeans stormed from behind in two key matches, held on in another, and earned a 2 1/2 - 1 1/2 advantage to square the competition at 6-6.
Give credit to the visitors’ clutch work at the 18th hole. In the three matches that went to the par-5 18th, the Europeans won once, halved it twice, and they’ve yet to lose the hole in six matches.
Catriona Matthew, the spirited Scot who won the Women’s British Open earlier this summer, again figured in a key 18th-hole match. Friday, Matthew made a birdie putt to steal a half-point from Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressel; today she knocked her third shot to 2 feet and had a sure birdie, only her teammate, Diana Luna, stole the spotlight with a 12-foot birdie putt that left Brittany Lang and Angela Stanford deflated.
Two-up through 16 – that’s dormie, folks – the Americans lost the 17th and 18th and came away with just a half-point.
Adding more misery to the Saturday scenario, the Europeans lead in the first foursomes match of the afternoon, Juli Inkster and Paula Creamer down one hole through six against Janice Moodie and Sophie Gustafson.
Lots of golf still to come, however, because at 3:05 they are about to start the second foursomes – a mere 1 hour 5 minutes late.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – More speed bumps – er, make that slow-play bumps – here on Day 2 of the Solheim Cup. With morning four-balls dragging well past five-and-a-half hours, here’s the awkward situation we are in:
The first match of the afternoon foursomes is already on the fourth hole (Europe leads, 2 up), yet none of the other three can begin. Why? Because players are still involved in the morning four-ball.
The silliest situation involves Kristy McPherson. She was scheduled to go out in the second afternoon match (at 2 p.m.), yet here it is 2:25 and she is on the 17th hole of her morning four-ball.
Hope she’s OK with those cheese crackers and a water for a lunch on the run.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Pairings are out for the fourth session, Saturday’s foursomes, and the first thing that jumps out at you is this: Michelle Wie will play for the third time with a third different partner.
This time, it will be Wie and Cristie Kerr. Earlier today, Wie won her four-ball match alongside Christina Kim. Friday, Wie and Morgan Pressel squandered a late lead and settled for a half-point in four-ball.
Question: Why not keep Wie with Kim, since they were dominating in four-ball? That would allow Kerr to play with her good pal, Natalie Gulbis? (Instead, Gulbis is with Kim.)
Next observation: A bit surprising to see Kristy McPherson in the afternoon lineup. She and Brittany Lincicome are 3-down on the 12th hole in the morning four-ball after having lost in foursomes yesterday afternoon and in the 28 holes she’s played thus far, McPherson has yet to have a lead.
True to her philosophy, U.S. captain Beth Daniel will not play anyone in five matches, as Lincicome and Angela Stanford will sit out the afternoon session.
No so for the Europeans, as Suzann Pettersen and Maria Hjorth will play all five.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Toughest job here at the Solheim Cup? It might belong to the man at the entrance who has to repeat every minute or so the list of items that spectators are prohibited from bringing in.
It is a long, long list. Many of the items are understandable – cell phones, coolers, backpacks. But when he gets to “iPods and chairs with arms,” it is laughable.
No iPods? Man, you’ve eliminated the under-30 crowd. And just what do they have against chairs with arms?
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 22
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Got to the Wydham Championship this morning only to find the big digital leaderboards announcing a 90-minute delay on all third-round tee times.
As of 10:15 a.m., thunder, lighting and rain were still the only ones playing the course.
Update: As of 11 o’clock, the delay has been extended to 2 1/2 hours, which means the first groups won’t tee off until at least after noon.
Good news, there’s a water slide in the pool behind the media center here. I’m thinking about it... – Eric Soderstrom Posted Aug. 22
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Kristy McPherson just gave fans at home a taste of her South Carolinian spirit with her ace prediction. The Europeans were dormie heading into the 16th and Brittany Lincicome hit it deep into the woods during the afternoon foursome session.
McPherson determined that she couldn’t advance the ball and made a bold declaration to her partner.
“I’ve made 4 ones in my life,” McPherson said. “I’m going back to the tee. I’m gonna make me a one.”
McPherson hit it to 6 feet, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist, who won, 3 and 2.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Quirky. That’s an adjective often used to describe Rich Harvest Farms. Of course, that wasn’t the word that came to mind when I discovered the name for the 12th hole (Gold No. 3) – “Snead’s Crotch.”
That’s right. And just underneath that moniker it says “Walk with a legend ...” on the club’s Web site. No. 12 is an awkward dogleg to say the least. That nickname makes it downright distasteful.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – There’s an Aussie driving the U.S. team cart. Karrie Webb, who plays out of the same club as Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon in Florida, is on hand to assist this week. Too bad she can’t play.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – How ’bout this for a list-minute catch? Michelle Wie’s caddie, Patrick Tarrant, rushed to open up B.J. Wie’s backpack on the first tee this morning. He pulled out a large Ziplock bag of balls.
Those might come in handy.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Suzann Pettersen hired Maria Hjorth’s husband, Shaun McBride, to carry her bag this week. Her regular looper, David Brooker, is awaiting the birth of his third child.
Speaking of children, nice to see two women who gave birth earlier this year – Catriona Matthew and Maria Hjorth – hold on to halve a match with two kids named Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressel.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – And you thought the play today was slow ... try driving in. There were plenty of horror stories from folks trying to make their way into the parking lot here at Rich Harvest Farms.
There are no shuttle buses. Everyone parks in a giant lot and then walks across the street. The problem, of course, is that thousands of fans come in on a one-lane road. Hello, traffic jam.
An LPGA media official just passed out alternate driving directors for media members and a press release from the Kane County Sheriff’s Department.
They’re bringing in 10 additional Illinois State Troopers tomorrow along with new signage. They’re also adding a secondary traffic route and waiving the $5 parking fee.
I’m sure the woman I saw get out of her car and scream at the parking lot volunteer last night will appreciate that gesture.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Shocked. That’s the best way to describe my reaction to Beth Daniel’s afternoon lineup.
Cristie Kerr leads the money list. She’s the hottest American player on tour and she pretty much carried Paula Creamer around the morning session.
And what’s she doing right now? She’s sitting.
“Kerr played awesome today,” said Creamer after their hard-fought 1-up victory. “My hands go down to her today.”
Kerr posted five birdies in the four-ball session, including an incredibly clutch birdie on the 17th hole to match Suzann Pettersen and keep their 1-up lead. Her putter is hot, and it’s a shame to see it go cold this afternoon.
“Beth Daniel said she doesn’t want to play anybody five matches if she can,” said Kerr, who didn’t express disappointment over the decision. “This is a really long walk around this golf course. She just doesn’t want us to get worn out.”
Kerr found out she’d be sitting this afternoon sometime on Thursday, which means Daniel wasn’t at all interested in how players fared this morning.
What’s wrong with a little flexibility?
Also, if Daniel holds true to this notion of no one plays five, that means Creamer sits sometime on Saturday. That will be a first for the American stalwart, and it’s not necessary.
Europe will likely have several players tee it up every match – Suzann Pettersen, Sophie Gustafson and Catriona Matthew.
Nothing wrong with that.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – The last match of the day will get started at 3:25 p.m. With the morning matches taking nearly six hours to complete, don’t look for them to finish. The final match was originally scheduled for 2:15 p.m.
Can you say painfully slow?
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 21
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Kudos to Pat Hurst for showing up this week to support the red, white and blue. Hurst, the unofficial 13th player, was out watching the Junior Solheim Cup Wednesday and will be at Rich Harvest Farms through Saturday. She’s here to accompany her husband, Jeff Heitt, a club rep with Ping, the event’s sponsor.
It has to be tough for her to sit this one out.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 20
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – The opening ceremonies weren’t over-the-top exciting, but European captain Alison Nicholas delivered one of the most amusing lines when she poked fun at herself.
“However to be standing, yes standing ...” said Nicholas, taking a jab at her own 5-foot frame. Nicholas, dwarfed by the podium, called the 2009 Solheim Cup the “proudest moment” of her golfing career.
“Big Al,” you’ll recall, edged Nancy Lopez to win the 1997 U.S. Open, a mighty feat.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 20
SUGAR GROVE, Ill – Things were winding down on the last practice day in preparation of the Solheim Cup when a few dozen fans mingled near the fence at the putting green.
They probably felt fortunate, because sure enough, there was an American player, Christina Kim, seemingly holding court. The only thing is, it was vintage Kim, which is to say you weren’t going to understand much of what she said – if you’re over 25, that is.
So after listening to Kim explain to a friend about a snafu of some sort – “I didn’t flake on you,” she said – the women walked away, shaking their heads.
“What did she mean?” a woman asked.
Sorry, lady. Can’t help you there.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 20
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Shortly after announcing her teams for the four-ball matches in the opening session of the Solheim Cup, Beth Daniel was asked about the players who were sitting it out: Christina Kim, Nicole Castrale, Natalie Gulbis, and Kristy McPherson.
Did the captain believe in getting all 12 into the lineup on the opening day? Was that a philsophy she subscribed to?
Daniel smiled.
“Not necessarily,” she said. “But you’ll find out around 11:30 (when the afternoon pairings are announced) what my philosophy is.”
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 20
The Lorena Ochoa era -- the one involving Golfweek’s Sagarin Performance Index, at least -- has ended.
Cristie Kerr grabbed the top spot in the rankings, ending Ochoa’s 147-week reign as the world’s top-ranked women’s professional golfer.
The Golfweek Sagarin Performance Index rewards overall player consistency, assigning a power rating to all players who have competed in a combined 10 events on worldwide tours -- the LPGA, Ladies European, Japan LPGA and Duramed Futures -- during the past 52 weeks.
Kerr is the first American No. 1 in the nearly 10-year history of the index. The previous No. 1s were Annika Sorenstam of Sweden (291 weeks, from March 19, 2001 to Oct. 9, 2006) and Karrie Webb of Australia (53 weeks, from March 20, 2000 to March 12, 2001).
Kerr, who recently topped $10 million in career earnings, leads the LPGA this season in money won, rounds under par, scoring average and top-10 finishes. She is playing in the Solheim Cup this weekend at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
“My thoughts are clearly on the Solheim Cup this weekend but perhaps American achievements, such as topping Golfweek’s Sagarin Ratings, can be an additional boost of motivation and team morale,” said Kerr, whose 12 LPGA titles include the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open.
– Lance Ringler Posted Aug. 20
Lost in the shuffle of Tiger Woods’ runner-up finish at the PGA Championship was yet another milestone he crossed: the $90 million mark in career earnings. That’s No. 1 all-time in case any bean counters out there were wondering, and nearly $30 million more than Vijay Singh, who is a very distant second on the list.
Way down the list is Jack Nicklaus, who with earnings of $5.7 million has slipped to No. 174, right behind David Peoples. You remember him, right?
Arnold Palmer is No. 355, with $1.8 million, or $13K less than Mike Heinen. I’m sure Palmer would prefer to say he’s $27,000-and change ahead of Gary Player (No. 360).
This may make Sam Snead roll over in his grave, but I’ll mention it anyway. The notoriously thrifty Snead earned $713,155 in his Hall of Fame career – less than 96 players have banked this season.
These days, it’s great to be one of those guys who are good.
– Adam Schupak Posted Aug. 20
P.T. Barnum promoter types, take note: Let’s put together a tournament the same week as the Oct. 19-21 PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
Ours
will be called the PGA Grand Bridesmaid of Golf. The field will feature
2009 major runners-up Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Tom
Watson and Tiger Woods.
They’ll have the winners. We’ll have the ratings. – Jeff Rude
Posted Aug. 20
Believe it or not, there are two
senior majors left – this week’s Jeld-Wen Tradition and the Constellation
Energy Senior Players Championship the first week of October.
Which prompts this thought about majors:
A
major shouldn’t be a major if it has more than three words in the game
(I could be talked into two words) or if there’s a pro-am. – Jeff Rude
Posted Aug. 20
Jason
Gore is chopping it up on Day 1 of the Wyndham, which means his FedEx
season is about to come to a close. It's been a tough year for the big
guy.
With the exception of two top-10 finishes this year (Arnold
Palmer Invitational, John Deere) – where he made $278,250 – he has only
banked $108,161 in 18 other starts, and was well on his way to missing
the cut in Greensboro. He ranks 168th in FedEx points, well outside the
'playoff' cutline of top 125.
As it stands right now, barring
something spectacular during the Fall Finish, Gore might be bound for
second stage of Q-School. For many players, it is simply that time of
year.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Aug. 20
Chatted with Annika Sorenstam this morning. Here are the bullet points I took away:
• She said she’s not interested in being LPGA commissioner now or down the road.
• Due to give birth to a girl in 3 1/2 weeks, she has solicited advice
for names on annikablog.com. Candidates she and husband Mike McGee
listed are Julia, Nicole, Jessica, Ava, Madelyn, Anne and Other.
Results
so far: Ava 23%, Madelyn 19%, Other 16% and Julia 14%. She said many of
the “other” suggestions were humorous entries using golf terms, like
Augusta.
My vote goes for Other. Mashie Niblick Magee has a nice ring.
• She says she views life from a far different lens now. Before, she had
a narrow focus on the next shot, she said. Now she says she can see the
forest from the trees. “It’s like Thursday comes around and it’s, oh,
they’re ready to start playing again?” she said.
– Jeff Rude
Posted Aug. 19
David Letterman's Top Ten list of Tiger Woods Excuses after Woods lost the PGA Championship to Y.E. Yang:
10) "No room left in my trophy case." 9) "Spent previous night with John Daly." 8) "Uhhh...the barometric pressure?" 7) "Wasn’t feeling very Tiger-y." 6) "Would you practice if you had a hot Swedish wife?" 5) "When I learned winner doesn't get a sharp-looking green jacket, I said, 'Screw it.'" 4) "Maybe it was the heat, but by hole 12 my 9-iron was talking to me." 3) "Too much pre-tournament gazpacho." 2) "Instead of winning majors, focused on making every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook." 1) "What do you expect? Y.E. wins everything.”
– Jeff Babineau
Posted Aug. 18
VIDEO: Alex Miceli on PGA Championship Sunday. CHASKA, Minn. – Some final thoughts from the PGA Championship:
• The awesome fans. I’ve never seen such a massive gathering of people
in my life. This must have been what Woodstock looked like (minus the
recreational activities). Players and media members said it was the
biggest crowds they had ever seen. And that was on Wednesday.
• Tiger is human. On the back nine Sunday, I was certain Tiger
would drive the 14th and make eagle. He didn’t. I was positive he would
hit the 15th in two shots and eagle. He didn’t. I was sure his tee shot
at 17 would land stone dead. It hopped over the green. And on No. 18, I
was convinced he would birdie to force a playoff. He made bogey.
• Yang’s dramatic reactions. From the furious fist pumps to the
golf bag press over his head on the 18th green, Y.E. Yang played with
his heart on his sleeve. He even tossed balls into the crowd throughout
the final round. As he said afterwards, “I have the best job in the
world doing what I love best.” It showed.
• My mom’s home cooking. How does scrambled eggs with spinach,
tomatoes, onions, peppers and cheese sound for a Sunday breakfast? Not
too shabby, if I do say so myself. It was a treat to cover the PGA in
my hometown. Can you say Ryder Cup 2016?
– Dan Mirocha
Posted Aug. 16
VIDEO BLOG: Alex Miceli and Jeff Rude discuss Round 3 at Hazeltine. CHASKA, Minn. — Few believed on Saturday morning that Tiger Woods would not win the PGA Championship, but Paddy Power, a betting site in the U.K., put its money where its mouth is by honoring all bets on Woods to win – on Saturday.
According to an e-mail from the betting house, “Tiger is a dead cert – he just doesn’t lose from the front. It’s cost us an arm and a leg, but the way we see it is that we’ll be paying it out on Sunday night anyway, so his backers may as well get their cash now and enjoy the rest of the weekend on us!”
It will cost Paddy Power a cool 1.25 million pounds to honor the 7/4 pre-tournament odds and 1/5 post-Saturday odds. – Alex Miceli Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – Somewhere in Dublin, Jody Fanagan is smiling. His loyal friend and former golf comrade, Padraig Harrington gave him some love at a major championship before the international media.
When asked his memories of the 1995 Walker Cup when he and Fanagan beat Woods and John Harris in foursomes, Harrington flashed a warm smile. But he especially liked the reference of Fanagan as “the mortician.”
“My friend would not be happy with being called ‘the mortician,’ ” Harrington said, and some Irish colleagues explained why. It seems Fanagan owns one of the largest funeral homes in Dublin, and it is considered more dignified to call him an “undertaker” as opposed to “mortician.”
But all that aside, Harrington got a kick out of the suggestion that the amateur team match from 14 years ago has a bearing on how things might go in the final round of the PGA Championship.
“It’s a new game. It’s a new game tomorrow. I don’t think that’s going to be playing in his mind, anyway.”
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – I covered the Honda Classic this spring when Y.E. Yang won his first PGA Tour title. He celebrated by pulling a Hale Irwin at the 1990 U.S. Open – ran around the green slapping as many high fives as possible.
He’ll have a shot at Tour victory No. 2 on Sunday. But he’ll have to stare down Tiger Woods to do so. They are paired in the final group.
“He’s won 70 times now,” Yang said. “I’ve only won once, so it’s sort of 70-to-1 odds. Yeah, might as well go for broke.”
Remember this: Yang won the 2007 HSBC Champions, holding off a field that including Michael Campbell, Retief Goosen . . . and Woods.
Said Padraig Harrington about Yang: “He knows what he’s doing. I wouldn’t be too worried about him tomorrow.” – Dan Mirocha Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – Padraig Harrington, comedian.
How ’bout these gems after bogeying No. 18 to shoot 69 and get into the
second-to-last pairing on Sunday, two shots behind Tiger Woods?
Q: Were you aware of Tiger Woods’ reputation as a 19-year-old playing against him in the Walker Cup? Harrington: “I think everybody was aware of Tiger’s reputation when he was 2.”
Q: Was it better you didn’t play with Tiger today? Did it give
you a break? He just missed a birdie putt at 18 and only has a two-shot
lead. Harrington: (pause) “I’m trying not to smile. (laughter) What was the question?”
Q: How eager do you think people are for someone to step up and challenge Tiger? Harrington: “I get the impression that there’s a lot of people
who are cheering me on, wanting me to push him along, but they still
want Tiger to win.”
– Dan Mirocha
Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – As it stands now with the leaders on the back nine Saturday, Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington would play again tomorrow in the final pairing.
One thought on that: I’ll bet anyone a million, and give 10-1 odds, that no official will put them on the clock.
Chuck Norris doesn’t have guts that big.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – Tiger Woods walked onto the fourth tee Saturday with a four-stroke lead. He arrived at the 11th with just a one-shot edge on Padraig Harrington.
Someone please handcuff the trophy engraver, take away his sharp tool and tell him the foregone conclusion is now a waiting game.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – While taking a brief mental break from golf, I just realized that it’s a good thing Michael Vick didn’t sign with the Cleveland Browns.
He’d never survive the Dawg Pound.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – Phil Mickelson isn’t going back to the drawing board. He’s going back to the putting green.
“I’ve got to get this putter straightened out,” Mickelson, who changed putters after the first round, said following his 74-74-76. “I’ve got to get confident on the greens. I’ve got to start seeing the lines better, get my speed better, get the ball rolling better. Because if you get the ball in the hole, everything else falls into place.”
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – Say this about Chaskans (is that what you call someone
who hails from Chaska?): They are serious about their golf. The offramp
leading to public parking off U.S. Highway 212 was absolutely jammed to
a standstill by mid-morning. And when Tiger Woods made his way to the
practice tee, thousands filled the grandstands and the grassy bank
behind the tee. Just to see a guy hit a bucket of balls. Wow. Bet that
many don’t show up to watch the Twins take BP at the MetroDome.
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – Longtime author and golf writer Dan Jenkins – covering his 201st major – gives his top 5 players of all-time:
“I’ll
have (Ben) Hogan No. 1,” he said. “I never saw him play, but how do you
leave out (Bobby) Jones? Hogan, Jones, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Tiger
(Woods), (Jack) Nicklaus. That would be five or six. ... Right now,
until Tiger beats Jack, he’s going to stay in the middle. But if he
ever passes Jack, he’ll move up. Nobody is ever going to top Hogan for
me. Greatest shotmaker who ever lived.”
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 15 CHASKA, Minn. – Steve Flesch seems to peak at the right times.
The left-hander shot 69 Saturday to move to T-19 on a warm, windy day at Hazeltine. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him move up a few more spots by the time Tiger taps in on No. 18 this evening.
In his last two majors, Flesch tied for sixth at the Masters and finished sixth at the 2008 PGA. Might want to make him a nice sleeper pick in a fantasy draft.
– Dan Mirocha Posted Aug. 15
CHASKA, Minn. – You can’t say that Phil Mickelson isn’t a man of his
word. It was Wednesday when he said, “No. 3 is probably my least
favorite hole on the course . . . “
As if to prove his point, he
went and bogeyed it for a second straight day, one of many hiccups in a
third-round 76 that dropped him even further down the leaderboard.
Mickelson
also bogeyed the par-5 seventh and par-5 11th and for three days has
hardly shined on the longer holes, going just 1 under.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 15
VIDEO BLOG: Who’s going to make a run at Tiger? CHASKA, Minn. — When the numbers were crunched and the cut had fallen
at 4-over 148, 80 players made the cut. Only 12 of them could lay claim
to making the cut in each major this season.
That list does not include, of course, Tiger Woods. He bowed out early at the British Open.
Instead,
it consists of Ross Fisher, Camilo Villegas, Henrik Stenson, Angel
Cabrera, Jim Furyk, Graeme McDowell, Kenny Perry, Lee Westwood, Rory
McIlroy, Vijay Singh, Sean O’Hair, and Kevin Sutherland.
That’s
right, Kevin Sutherland, probably the most surprising name on the list.
But give the man from Sacramento credit, for the major scene hasn’t
exactly been his forte. After all, he had played in all four majors in
a season just once before (2002) and he had been eligible for just six
majors between 2004-08.
Furyk has now made the cut in nine consecutive majors, best in the game.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA,
Minn. — Even in this world of titanium and megablasts, it sounded a bit
much. Driver, 9-iron to the 564-yard, par-5 seventh hole? Was that
true, Alvaro Quiros?
The Spaniard shook his head.
And the drive, it went 372 yards?
Again, he confirmed with a shake of his head, but added, “if I must be honest, I did not hit it great, almost on the heel.”
So
some quick math determined that the 9-iron was hit from 192 yards?
Quiros said it was, then he frowned. “It was too much club.”
On
the surface, it sounded crazy, but then again, Quiros’ 9-iron did come
to rest plugged in a bunker and he made bogey, so maybe the wedge would
have been the proper choice.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 14
HASKA,
Minn. — Moving away from the typical approach to poor play that PGA
Tour guys display – “I’m going to take a few weeks off” – Adam Scott
decided to go in another direction. Sergio Garcia did likewise.
Shortly
after shooting 82-79–161 in a horrendous putting display at the PGA
Championship, Scott phoned in his reservations for next week’s Wyndham
Championship. Hours later, Garcia had missed his first cut in a major
this season and also committed to the Wyndham.
It’s a tournament
that will be missing most of the big names, coming a week before the
start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, but with Scott (110th) and Garcia
(114th) mired deep in the standings, both of them need to improve their
chances for playing in at least two playoff tournaments.
Both players have just one previous visit to Wyndham, in 2005.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA,
Minn. — Cool scene late on Friday near the ninth and 18th greens, which
sit next to one another, at Hazeltine. Shaun Micheel, the 2003 PGA
champion, was 10 over par and headed down the road as he waited to
putt. Peering over to the gallery, he gave a little wave to his
2-year-old girl, Marin Belle, putting a smile on her face. When he
finished putting out for a par, he then took his little girl in his
arms and headed off to scoring.
He’d shot 76-78, but there things a lot more important than golf.
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA, Minn. – Quote of the day from Friday at the PGA . . . Stewart
Cink, when asked what is was like to be paired with the 2009 major
champions during the first two rounds at Hazeltine.
“You mean the group with the spoilers?” Cink deadpanned.
Cink, who is tied for 38th at 2 over, topped Tom Watson at British
Open. Angel Cabrera, who knocked off Kenny Perry at the Masters, is
also at 2 over. And Lucas Glover, who played spoiler to Phil Mickelson
and David Duval at the U.S. Open, is tied for second at 3 under.
– Dan Mirocha
Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA, Minn. – A great deal has been made about the many players who have exhibited vanishing acts this season. Vijay Singh, Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington (before these last two weeks, anyway) ... each has seen his sub-par season well-chronicled.
If you're looking for a player who has really emerged from the shadows, however, look no further than Englishman Ross Fisher, who sits at 3-under 141 through two rounds at Hazeltine National (and that was after a bogey-bogey finish on Friday).
Fisher opened and closed strongly at Augusta (bookend 69s) in tying for 30th, was a big factor down the stretch at the U.S. Open (T-5) and led the Open Championship through 58 holes before being derailed by a bad drive into heavy rough that led to a quadruple-bogey 8. He eventually shot 75 and tied for 13th.
"One bad swing probably cost me the Open," he said.
Of course, he also was playing at Turnberry with the added pressure that he could become a first-time father at any moment. His wife, Jo, was due any time, but Fisher soldiered on, never getting that call that would have ended his Open in an instant.
"She managed to hold on," Fisher said Friday at Hazeltine. "Unfortunately, I didn't."
Jo Fisher ended up going 10 days beyond her due date before delivering a daughter, Eve, on July 25.
Get used to Fisher. He'll be a lock for Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup squad in Wales next year.
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA, Minn. – Huddle up, equipment geeks: The last couple days, Corey Pavin and Bob Estes have played Turn Back the Clock. Why? Because they each are using original Acushnet Bulls Eye putters that haven’t been on the market in years (these are the pre-Scotty Cameron models your dad and granddad used to putt with). The strange thing was the two happened to be paired together at the 91st PGA Championship.
Pavin is a great putter who has used a Bulls Eye for years. As for Estes, he said he went “into the barrel” at home in Texas a few days before the PGA because he stands tall and uses a longer putter than most (35.5 to 36 inches), and says most of today’s modern models simply have heads that weigh too much. This way, he can use a longer putter with a lighter head that still has a swing weight in the “C's”.
“I’ve got more control of the putter this way,” he said Friday after his second consecutive 74. “I’m controlling it, instead of it controlling me.”
Estes, who says he probably has "40 to 50" old-style Bulls Eye putters at home (“I probably used my first one when I was about 5,” he said) is using a La Femme model, with a flange.
This is a guy known for his tinkering. A few years ago in Texas, he decided to break out a persimmon driver to give it a try.
Friday, as he left the range, he smiled and said, “I'm just old school, I guess.”
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA, Minn. – You could have gotten long, long odds that one guy would play 36 holes at the PGA Championship without a birdie and his name would be Steve Stricker.
But that’s what happened and no one was more stunned than Stricker.
“I’m very surprised, but I just could never get the speed of the greens,” Stricker said after rounds of 74-77 left him outside the cut in a major for the first time this year.
“I could never get anything going, but then again, it’s tough to get things going if you’re not making birdies.” – Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA, Minn. – For the latest entry in the “Drive For Show, Putt For Dough” book, we offer Adam Scott.
That was his name atop the driving distance category for Round 1, a
robust 324.0 average that even outran the vaunted Alvaro Quiros.
That was also his name well down the score list, an 82 that beat only
three players, two of them club pros. It matched Scott’s worst-ever
score in a major championship and was brought about by a putting
exhibition that was inexplicable.
Scott four-putted the par-4 second for a double-bogey and three times
in his back-nine 40 he three-putted. Scott one-putted just three
greens, including the 18th where his only birdie of the day saved him
from shooting 83.
In all, Scott needed 38 putts, which explains the miserable score despite hitting nine of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens.
– Jim McCabe
Posted Aug. 14
CHASKA, Minn. – Steve Stricker shot 2-over 74, but it could have been a lot worse according to the Wisconsin native who didn’t make a birdie on Thursday.
“You don’t want to kill yourself or hurt yourself,” Stricker said.
That sounds an awful lot like, you can’t win it on the first day, you can only lose it.
Seven shots back, Stricker is certainly not too far back, but he understands he will need to make a mini-charge on the morning greens on Friday and make at least one birdie.
“You think you’re going to luck one in and I didn’t,” Stricker said of his lack of birdies.
While surprised by that development of Thursday, Stricker was cool and calm about his chances considering he has only had two top-10s in 11 PGA appearances. In 1998, he finished second and in 2006 finished 7th, but only once has he opened a PGA with a round in the 60s (a 69 in 1998).
– Alex Miceli Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – It took Phil Mickelson 25 minutes to leave the scoring trailer and after just five minutes with the waiting media, Lefty was off to the putting green to work on the part of his game that deserted him on Thursday.
Under the watchful eye of caddie Jim Mackay Mickelson started with 5-footers and progressed to 10- and 20-footers. Unfortunately for Mickelson, he was making only about 20 percent from the short distance, but making a higher percentage from longer distances.
Mickelson averaged 2 putts per round on Thursday, ranking him 140th in a field of 156 that includes 20 club pros.
For the record, Mickelson is 13th in putting average on the PGA Tour at 1.734 in 2009.
After about 15 minutes of putting, short game guru Dave Pelz showed up with the sun falling in the sky. Pelz taked to Mackay, as Mickelson kept putting.
– Alex Miceli Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – After several days of being in the eye of a controversy, John Paramor welcomed the quiet solitude of a late-afternoon round of golf. Of course, Andy Sutton couldn’t resist, so as he moved up the fairway at the par-5 seventh, he stopped to talk to the rules official.
“John, are we on the clock?” asked Sutton.
Paramor smiled, then laughed. “No,” he said, “but the boys ahead are,” a reference to Mark Wilson, Charl Schwartzel, and Alastair Forsyth.
Last Sunday, of course, Paramor was the rules official who got swept into a controversy when he put Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington on the clock late in the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational. Harrington promptly made triple-bogey, went from one up to three back, and got blitzed by Woods.
When Woods criticized Paramor, it became a story, but as he watched the first round action of the 91st PGA Championship, the respected rules official was glad it was all behind him.
“I’ve received enormous support,” Paramor said. – Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – I’ll say this about Chaska. You sure meet some nice people around here. Early Thursday, while hanging out near the first tee waiting for Tiger to come through, I struck up a conversation with Dr. Edgar Zieglar, who just happened to be the mayor of this fine little city when a major championship first came calling – in 1970, when Hazeltine National played host to a U.S. Open.
Dr. Zieglar, a dentist who retired his practice in 1994 but still teaches at the University of Minnesota – or “the U,” as my colleague Dan Mirocha calls it – gave me some pretty startling information about the Hazeltine National property and his fine city. When he moved here in 1956, there were only about 3,200 residents here, and now there are roughly 25,000. Funny thing about the property. Dr. Zieglar told me the first 80 acres of this farmland that was used to build the course (designed in 1962 by Robert Trent Jones) was sold for $600 an acre. But when the Open came calling, more land was needed for the infrastructure that comes with hosting the event, so a second sale – for only 20 acres – went for more than $1 million.
“There was a headline in the local paper after that one,” said the Doc. “It said, ‘Farmer Fred is a Millionaire.’”
Farmer Fred was Fred Molnau, who farmed the property, as his dad once had done in homesteading the land. When Fred’s son Steve later sold off the last 50 acres, the price was $4.3 million. Got to love how the price of dairyland can escalate.
Anyway, those tall trees you see everywhere on the property used to be “just sticks” when Dr. Zieglar was mayor of Chaska, he said, and as beautiful as the golf course is, he never has played it. How's that? A dentist who doesn't golf.
“My wife and I tried the practice range one time,” he said, “but that was it. It (playing golf) took too much time.”
Two famous happenings came out of that 1970 Open. Tony Jacklin won (the last European to capture the U.S. Open); and eventual runner-up Dave Hill seized headlines with his terse response when, during a weather delay, he was asked what he thought of the course.
Said Hill, “All it really lacks is 80 acres of corn and a few cows.”
Ouch. So what did the Mayor and all the fine citizens of Chaska think of that?
“That’s right, the fellah said it was a cow pasture,” he said, laughing. “We got a big kick out of that. Actually, down along the lake, it was ...”
Yer darn tootin'.
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – Sergio Garcia, prophet.
After opening the PGA Championship with 71 in the morning, the Spaniard said no one would shoot a really low score in the afternoon.
“The greens are getting a little firmer, a little crustier and as the day goes on they get a little bumpier, so it’s tougher to make putts.”
He was right on all counts.
The spiked-up, poa annua greens were a course defense. David Toms and Vijay Singh were best in the afternoon wave at 69.
Phil Mickelson suffered on the greens all day in shooting 74. He said he hadn’t putted that poorly in a long time, estimating he wasted five to seven shots around the greens.
As a result, he headed to the putting green afterward, which he usually doesn’t do following a round.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – When he saw John Daly, all Tim Herron could do was hang his head and shake it slowly.
It had nothing to do with the wild, purple and every-other-color pants that Daly wore, but everything to do with a sure signal that Herron would not earn a spot into the 91st PGA Championship. Herron, a Minnesota native who some felt deserved a special invite, was second alternate to start the day, but moved to No. 1 when Paul Casey withdrew and Tim Petrovic got in.
It prompted Herron to arrive early at Hazeltine, but all he did was pace the grounds and slowly watch group after group go off. Having watched all 78 players in the morning wave go, Herron kept tabs of the afternoon groups and might have thought he had a chance with the 12:55 group, given that Daly had talked openly of his frustrations a week ago.
But when Daly walked past Herron, it was as if the curtain had been drawn. Sure, there were plenty more groups to go, but Herron didn’t hold out much hope. Good thing, too, because all players were present and accounted for.
All that was bad enough, but to add insult to injury, as Herron walked to his car in the parking lot, he discovered that he couldn’t find his car keys. Then, a voice barked out, “Hey, Lumpy, how’d you play?”
Snapped Herron, “I didn’t.”
If he thought his evening would be better, Herron was wrong. That’s because a double-bogey, double-bogey finish left Daly at 78 and he promptly did what he does so frequently: He withdrew.
Herron had a right to scream.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – Billed as the longest course in major championship history, Hazeltine National at times looked like it was being primed to join the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
Birdies came early and often and while that wasn’t alarming, the length to which Alvaro Quiro hit it was. Heralded for his length and ulta-aggressive style of play, the Spaniard needed just two holes to set the tone for the day – a driver off the tee and driver off the deck to reach the green at the 600-yard, par-5 11th.
Only thing is, a group was still putting. And not just any group, either, but one that included Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington.
“Sadly, the ball bounced more than we were calculating,” said Quiros, after shooting 69. “I apologized to (Woods, Harrington, and Rich Beem) on the next tee.”
Apology accepted, but Woods insisted it wasn’t necessary.
“I said, ‘Nothing to apologize for,’ ” Woods said. “That’s a hell of a shot.”
It wasn’t Quiros’ only one, either, because he again went driver, driver to reach the front of the green at the par-5 third – and that measures 624 yards.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – Padraig Harrington is an optimist. At the least he’s open-minded.
After opening the PGA Championship with 68, the Irishman reacted to the news that golf will be an Olympic sport in 2016 with these sentences: “In 100 years time, the Olympics could be the fifth major. ... In time it could become the premier event in golf.”
I am going to make a futures bet with Ladbrokes that Olympic golf will not be the game’s No. 1 event in 2109. I am leaving the betting slip in my will for my great-great-grandchildren.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – The black 3 next to his name caused a bit of pain. But the green ribbon in his hat? That brought a slight smile to Craig Thomas’ face.
“It’s for Ken Green,” Thomas said. “He’s a close friend.”
Thomas is in the 91st PGA Championship, having qualified with a fourth-place finish in the national Club Pro Championship. That is a big deal, one he doesn’t take lightly, but it is easy to take his thoughts away from Hazeltine when you ask about Green, the longtime PGA Tour member who was involved in a horrible car crash two months ago in Mississippi.
Killed in the crash were Green’s girlfriend, his brother, and his dog. The Champions Tour player and former Ryder Cupper lost his right leg. Thomas, 46, grew up in Danbury, Conn., with Green and was recently in Florida to visit his longtime friend. “He’s feeling good, his spirits are up,” Thomas said, “but it’s a tough thing.”
When they were together in the winter, Thomas as Green’s caddie in a Champions Tour stop in California, a ballmark exchanged hands and was totally forgotten. Months later, Thomas went in his bag and saw the ball marker with the word “RAT” written on it.
“He has all these ballmarkers with the names of his dogs on them,” Thomas said. “I forgot to give it back to him, so I figured I’d use it today.”
It didn’t help his score, a 75 on a day when Hazeltine was as soft as it will get, but it served to remind Thomas that there is more important things in this world than the number on your scorecard.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 13
LIVE CHAT UPDATE: Mike Small, head golf coach at Illinois (pictured above) who is
playing in his fifth PGA Championship, will chat live following his first
round at 2:10 p.m. (1:10 p.m. Central).
CHASKA, Minn. – Didn’t have Hiroyuki Fujita in your office pool?
Neither did I.
Fujita took a share of the early lead Thursday morning at Hazeltine. Let’s get to know him.
Fujita has seven victories on the Japan Tour (including one this year)
and tied for second behind Danny Lee at the European Tour’s Johnnie
Walker Classic in February. He’s playing in his second PGA Championship
(T-68 in 2008).
However, one stat sticks out: The 40-year-old Japanese player stands just 5-foot-5 and weighs 155 pounds.
Somewhere, Corey Pavin is smiling.
– Dan Mirocha
Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – Good news for golf fans.
The sport has been recommended for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Games?
Heck no. That’s major-league ho-hum material, a news bulletin that ranks up there with Tiger Woods wins. It’s been a poorly-kept secret in recent weeks that rugby and golf were the sports schduled to get the nod. They did. Yawn.
So, what’s the good news for golf fans?
Well, officials at The Golf Channel had the good sense to only spend a few minutes on this Olympic news and return to its broadcast of “Caddyshack.”
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – Paul Casey’s work week at the PGA Championship came to an end before it really started. The world’s third-ranked player withdrew prior to the start of the opening round, citing a nagging chest injury.
“I have to look at the bigger picture,” Casey said. “I will play a lot more majors over my career and I have to be ready for what is coming up the rest of hte season.”
The Englishman finished T-47 in the British Open with the chest injury, but withdrew six holes into last week’s Bridgestone Invitational. Had this been a football game this week, Casey’s participation never would have been listed as more than “doubtful.”
Bad news for him, but good news for Tim Petrovic. He was slipped into the pairing alongside Nick Watney and Hiroyuki Fujita. It’s Petrovic’s fourth start in a PGA and he’s in search of his first check.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 13
CHASKA, Minn. – Rugby and golf are the two probable sports to be added to the 2016 Olympic Games, a senior Olympic official told Golfweek from Berlin on Wednesday night after IOC discussions on the matter.
The Olympic official said representatives of the five other sports in the running came away from the talks convinced that rugby and golf would get the nod. The IOC discussed the contenders Wednesday and are scheduled to vote and make an announcement Thursday.
Golf has been part of the Olympics twice – the 1900 Paris Games and the 1904 St. Louis Games. The 21st-century push has the support of such heavyweights as Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam. Woods said earlier this week that, should he not be retired by 2016, he would play.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 12
VIDEO: Jeff Rude and Dan Mirocha talk about Hazeltine’s length and Minnesota accents. CHASKA, Minn. – I am not him. I do not have an Irish accent and I
don’t pass gas on command. Maybe I should get a T-shirt with those
messages on front and back.
I’m not even close to being that funny, and I don’t ride bikes, much
less fall off. I never played on a Ryder Cup team and made a public
joke about Nancy Pelosi.
In short, I’m not David Feherty. But apparently some people think I am.
During about 2 hours of walking around Hazeltine National during a
practice round Wednesday, no less than 20 people mistook me for David
Feherty. And those are only the ones who came up and asked for
autographs and got this quick response: “I’m not Feherty.”
That doesn’t count the many others my Golfweek.com cameraman said he
saw staring at and stalking me and whispering. And that doesn’t count Graeme
McDowell, who told me he did a double-take on the range before
realizing Feherty isn’t quite 6-foot-3.
The most amusing part came when I had had enough and was about to send
Feherty a text that read: “Please make this stop! I keep telling people
I’m not Feherty.”
As I was finishing that message off, a man on the ropes told my
cameraman, “He’s recovered from the bike accident well.” I walked over
and told the man, “It’s interesting you said that. I’m not Feherty, but
here’s the text I’m sending him now.”
A few minutes later the assault on the Faux Feherty went on and on and
another man approached asking for an autograph. Near him was the man
who had made the bike comment. I believe I was set up on that one. They
had a big laugh.
Funny people in Minnesota. And apparently sight-impaired as well.
– Jeff Rude
Posted Aug. 12
CHASKA, Minn. – Our annual visit with “Glory’s Last Shot,” better known as the PGA Championship, wouldn’t be complete without bringing up a pet peeve.
Why doesn’t the PGA of America amend its eligibility code so that one of the categories reads: Players ranked within the top 100 in the world rankings.
After all, that is the way it is with this major championship – has been for several years now – and it would be nice if officials would simply say so. As it is, the PGA Championship has so few eligibility codes (12) – when compared to the Masters (18), U.S. Open (18), and British Open (30) – that when the 11th one was done, only 121 players were exempt.
No worries, eligibility code No. 12 is where a good bulk of the field comes from – in this case, 35 of 156 players, or 22 percent.
Here’s how that eligibility code reads: “In addition, the PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above.”
Probably drawn up by some lawyer, because what PGA of American officials mean is: “We will keep inviting top 100 players until we have all of them on the guest list.”
The shocking news is that this year it required invites to a whopping 31 names, people like Martin Kaymer (14th), Ross Fisher (23rd), Alvaro Quiros (39th), and even Adam Scott (46th). None had qualified otherwise, though to be honest, a guy like Scott (an Aussie who is not a club pro or eligible for the Senior PGA Championship) only had eight ways to make it in.
Eyebrows were raised when the likes of Johan Edfors (98th), Brandt Snedeker (97th), Richard Green (95th), David Smail (91st), Ryo Ishikawa (59th), and Michael Sim (84th) got invites via category No. 12, but it shouldn’t have been a surprise, given the desire to have the top 100 invited.
And when that deed was taken care of, the PGA of America had a few spots opened, which went to 2010 Ryder Cup captains Corey Pavin (309th in world order), Colin Montgomerie (214th), former Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman (191st), and Darren Clarke (103rd). – Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 12
CHASKA, Minn. – Almost three decades ago, of course, Dave Hill made
headlines by making disparaging remarks about Hazeltine National, then
an 8-year-old course designed by Robert Trent Jones.
“The man
who designed this course had his blueprints upside down,” Hill said
then at the 1970 U.S. Open. “What this place needs is 88 acres of corn
and a few cows. Somebody ruined a good farm.”
Move forward 29
years and Hazeltine National is a 7,674-yard course that he been
renovated and lengthened by Jones’ son, Rees. The course has hosted
U.S. Opens and PGAs, including this week’s, and will play host to the
Ryder Cup in 2016.
On Wednesday, I happened to run into a
prominent player on the first tee and asked a very innocent question in
making small talk: “What do you think of this ballpark?”
What I didn’t expect to get back was a profanity-laced barrage that made one think of Dave Hill’s criticism of yore.
“I
think it’s (expletive expletive),” the player said. “It’s long and
boring. I’m bored. Aren’t you bored? Every year it’s the longest par 5
in PGA history and the longest par 4. There’s a 260-yard par 3 where
you try to hit wood to the center of the green. Boring. I’m bored.
What’s the point?”
He didn’t stop there.
“There’s a
520-yard par 4,” the man went on. “The whole thing just takes away
skill and creativity. It’s about length. I don’t get it. I’m bored.”
P.S. I believe I actually left out a few other mentions of “bored” or “boring.” – Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 12 LIVE CHAT ALERT: Mike Small, head golf coach at Illinois who is
playing in his fifth PGA Championship, chats live following his first
round. He tees off at 7:35 a.m. CDT. LIVE CHAT ALERT:Golfweek senior writer Jim McCabe chatted live today with Golfweek.com users from Hazeltine National.
Click play button below to replay the chat.
CHASKA,
Minn. – A defining characteristic of Hazeltine National is the large
water tower that sits on club property. It’s actually a good aiming
point for players off the 16th tee box.
Tom Lehman, who this
week is playing in his 16th PGA Championship, was asked what he
remembered about playing Hazeltine as member of the University of
Minnesota golf team.
“Teeing up golf balls in the parking lot
and trying to hit 7-irons over the water tower,” Lehman said. “We tried
to see who could hit the highest club possible over the water tower. Of
course, the pro didn’t like it.”
– Dan Mirocha Posted Aug. 12
CHASKA, Minn. – Today’s tip of the day: Throw your PGA Championship love Ross Fisher’s way.
Chuckle, giggle, laugh?
Go
ahead, but the numbers indicate he deserves serious consideration at
this PGA Championship, especially if you’re looking to add him to a
pool of players. Consider that of the 15 players who have made the cut
in the three majors this season, Fisher has the best aggregate score –
even par.
That’s three better than the next name on the list, Camilo Villegas, with Henrik Stenson next at 4-over.
Anway, the list of those who have made the cut in each major, with their score for 216 holes:
Ross Fisher: even par
Camilo Villegas: 3-over
Henrik Stenson : 4-over
Angel Cabrera: 5-over
Jim Furyk: 5-over
Graeme McDowell: 5-over
Steve Stricker: 6-over
Kenny Perry: 7-over
Lee Westwood: 7-over
Rory McIlroy: 8-over
Sergio Garcia: 9-over
Vijay Singh: 11-over
Sean O’Hair: 14-over
Kevin Sutherland: 23-over
Andres Romero: 23-over
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 12
CHASKA, Minn. – I think the entire state of Minnesota is at Hazeltine. It’s that busy here.
Even Tiger Woods spoke up.
“This
place has been phenomenal,” Woods said. “Even at Bethpage this year, we
never saw this many people. We thought that would have been the most
that we would have had all year.”
– Dan Mirocha Posted Aug. 12
CHASKA, Minn. – It’s two hours before your tee time and you’ve
forgotten that household item you promised your wife. Or you need a
dress shirt for that evening gala.
What do you do?
Well,
if you’re entered into the 91st PGA Championship here at Hazeltine
National Golf Club, you’re in luck. There’s a Kohl’s not more than a
downwind 3-wood from the first tee. Just allow an extra five minutes in
the morning and you’re all set.
Credit cards accepted, we’re sure.
It’s
not often that major championship venues are so convenient to shopping
needs – save for the Masters, of course, if you desire waffles. Our
last major stop, Turnberry, would hardly be classified as a hub, and
before that we had Bethpage Black, which might have been in the shadows
of the Big Apple, only it required a 45-minute drive through a
barricade of dumptrucks to get out of the state park.
– Jim McCabe Posted Aug. 12
VIDEO: Slow play, par-72 majors and the Year of the Runner-Up. VIDEO: Tiger Woods addresses the media. CHASKA,
Minn. – Longtime caddie Fanny Sunesson might caddie for fellow Swede
Henrik Stenson but she has coached German Martin Kaymer for 5-6 years
on matters of course management and strategy. The two hit it off when
the German national team enlisted Sunneson a few years ago to help in
those areas.
“When I turned professional she helped me a lot
with what’s going on on tour, what I have to look after, all the travel
things and the golf courses, about the strategy,” said Kaymer, who
meets with Sunesson most weeks to plot strategy.
“I wouldn’t call her a mental coach. That would be a little bit too much. She’s my coach.”
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 11
CHASKA,
Minn. – In the ongoing slow play saga that erupted Sunday at the
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Tiger Woods said today at the PGA
Championship that reports of a fine from the PGA Tour were “erroneous.”
FoxSports.com later reported that the PGA Tour confirmed Woods’ statement.
In
his post-victory press conference last Sunday, Woods criticized a
European Tour official who put Woods and Padraig Harrington on the
clock late in the final round. Harrington made triple bogey on the 16th
hole as Woods went on to win his 70th PGA Tour event.
The
Associated Press ran a story Monday saying Woods would be fined for his
comment, based on information from a Tour official who spoke on
condition of anonymity. The Tour does not publicize fines.
When
asked about the fine Tuesday, Woods said: “I’ve heard from the tour and
there’s no fine,” Woods said. “That was an erroneous report.”
Harrington addressed the issue from Hazeltine, too.
“As
to regards to what (Woods) said, I think it’s easier for having won the
tournament, he can take the moral high ground and say what he wants,”
Harrington said. “Having lost the tournament, I’m going to sit back . .
. I’m going to take it on the chin.”
– Dan Mirocha Posted Aug. 11 I don’t have a 182-yard 8-iron shot that clears water and clinches victory.
Do you?
P.S. Tiger Woods not allowed to write in with his answer. We already know it.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 10
Time to break the cow bell out of retirement for Keegan Bradley, nephew of World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley.
Keegan cruised to a five stroke wire-to-wire victory at the Texas Honing Open to clinch his first career NGA/Hooters Tour win.
When Pat won her first professional event, the 1975 Colgate Far East Open, her mother, Kathleen, stepped out on the family’s back porch in Westford, Mass., and celebrated by clanging a Swiss cowbell.
Thus began a family tradition. She rang it after each victory, the last in 1991 when Pat won for the 30th time to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
The bell was retired and is part of an exhibit at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla.
– Adam Schupak Posted Aug. 10
Nothing like switching things up just before a big event. Brittany Lincicome fired her caddie, the same one who jumped with her into Champions Lake at the Kraft Nabisco, after the British Open. She’ll have Leta Lindley’s husband, Matt Plagmann, on her bag at the Solheim Cup.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 10
Parker McLachlin started his title defense at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open by doing a good deed for the community where he earned his first PGA Tour victory, visiting the Renown Children’s Hospital in Reno on Tuesday. Now he’s playing well after an otherwise dismal season.
McLachlin has missed 12 or 19 cuts this year, and hasn’t finished better than T-17. He had a five-month stretch from February to July where he missed 11 of 13 cuts and had a 73.9 scoring average.
McLachlin is starting to see the upside of swing changes made under the tutelage of coach Sean Foley, who also works with Sean O’Hair, Hunter Mahan, Stephen Ames and Trevor Immleman. McLachlin has made his past two cuts and started this week 69-69.
He was convinced to overhaul his action after hitting just four greens in Reno’s final round last year. He has the luxury to experiment because of the two-year exemption that comes with victory.
“Fortunately, I had a six-shot lead (last year). And my short game was pretty good, or else I may have lost the lead last year as well,” McLachlin said. “But ... it said, ‘You've got to make the change.’ ... If my swing’s going to hold up like this when I’m in contention ..., it's not fun.
“I knew there had to be a better way, a more efficient way to swing the golf club. And so basically the day after this tournament ended was when I started looking for someone who could build a golf swing for me that would help get me in the top 50 in the world.”
– Sean Martin Posted Aug. 7
AKRON, Ohio – Beware of the injured golfer, case No. 1,808,001: Padraig Harrington had to leave the Firestone range Monday because of a stiff neck. He was unable to turn his head as he headed to the clubhouse for treatment.
Next thing anyone knew, he was shooting 64-69 and leading the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
The miracle of ice, anti-inflammatory medication, treatment and, of course, talent.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 7
AKRON, Ohio–Padraig Harrington knows a few things about trophies because, well, he has spent much of his life winning them. So as an expect on such hardware, he knows the Wannamaker Trophy, which he received for winning the 2008 PGA Championship, weighs about the same as a child age 4 or 5.
Harrington, first-round leader of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, was told the trophy weighs 44 pounds. He believes that, sort of. At times it feels heavier. After all, he figures, one has a better grip when lifting a dumbbell of similar weight.
“I have a replica that’s like 90 percent and everybody picks it up and says how heavy it is and I say, ‘It’s not as heavy as the real thing.’ Holding it for 10 minutes for pictures–every time I switch sides, people thinking you’re switching sides because you’re showing your sponsor. But no, I’m resting.”
So not only is winning a major difficult. Hoisting the trophy can be.
“I was genuinely shocked by the weight when I picked it up,” the winner of three of six majors in 2007-08 said.
The trophy has weighed more, actually. That was when Harrington put his young son, 10 months old at the time, into it for a photo opportunity.
“He’s actually in the trophy,” Harrington said.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 7
AKRON, Ohio – Implementation of the U.S. Golf Association’s new grooves rule doesn’t appear to be so simple.
The USGA, seeking to reduce the spin generated from the so-called U grooves, has required manufacturers to comply with narrower-grooved irons and wedges beginning Jan. 1.
In a letter dated Aug. 27, 2009 (must have been a typo – it was released last week), the USGA came out with an additional pronouncement. The letter, titled “Notice to Manufacturers,’’ starts as follows: “Recent submissions, patent literature and communications from some manufacturers indicate that certain aspects of the new 2010 Rule placing additional limitation on grooves may not be clear.”
Unfortunately for the USGA, the new rule was perfectly clear to the manufacturers. It’s just that the USGA doesn't seem to get this fact: Manufacturers make their living by coming up with the best clubs possible – under the rules, of course.
The USGA went on to add two new requirements addressing the designs of the manufacturers.
For Callaway Golf, this came as an answer to its grooves submission earlier this summer. Callaway had submitted a set of irons for approval that it believed met the criteria, but the clubs were rejected two weeks ago because they didn’t meet the new standards.
“I was going to play the new clubs this week,” a disappointed Phil Mickelson said after his first round at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. “But they (USGA) rejected them. How are we supposed to know what conforms or doesn’t if they keep changing the criteria?”
USGA senior technical director Dick Rugge weighed in.
“We have no plans to make any further additions,” Rugge said. “We believe that the current language covered those clubs (Callaway) and that the July 27 memo was further clarification not to change the regulation. The goal all along was to limit spin rate from the rough.”
Callaway Golf views it differently.
“It’s just moving the goal line just as someone is about to score a touchdown,’’ company spokeswoman Michele Szynal said Thursday.
Mickelson talked with PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem about the issue on Wednesday, but nothing seems to have come of the discussion.
“We will not comment about hypothetical situations,” said Ty Votaw, the Tour’s executive vice president of communications and internal affairs.
Which leaves every manufacturer and player in a quandary with less than five months to go before implementation.
“It seems like they (USGA) withhold the right to change the rules any time they want,” Mickelson said. “It’s very frustrating.”
– Alex Miceli Posted Aug. 6
Michael Sim, the Nationwide Tour’s leading money-winner, has received a
special exemption into next week’s PGA Championship. Sim is No. 81 in
the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 52 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
He
qualified for this year’s U.S. Open and tied for 18th, playing the
final round with Tiger Woods. Sim is idle this week after missing only
his second cut of the year in Columbus last week. In 11 starts, the
24-year-old Australian has two wins, a runner-up (playoff), a third, a
T-4 and a T-5.
– Sean Martin Posted Aug. 5
AKRON, Ohio – Now a word about the comings and goings of the Claret Jug. There’s been more lip on that than when Mick Jagger is at the microphone.
The day Stewart Cink arrived home in Atlanta with the British Open trophy, he and several friends went to a crowded steakhouse. Let’s just say the jug drew a crowd. “It was almost mayhem,” Cink said Wednesday at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
The Open champion estimates probably 75 people drank out of the jug that night and photographed with it. “I don’t think there was a person in the bar who missed out,” Cink said. “The response was so overwhelming that I felt a need to protect it.”
So far many different liquids have been consumed out of the ornament, which holds about 2 1/2 pints: Guiness, cola, Harp, wine.
“It’s been busy,” Cink said.
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 5
AKRON, Ohio – For about 25 years before the mid-1990s, Guido Ianni of nearby Canton would sell MacGregor Tourney persimmon drivers, vintage early 1950s, to numerous PGA Tour players, both on the range the week of the Firestone tournament and at other Tour events from his car. The major-winning likes of Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Ben Crenshaw and Davis Love III were buyers over the years.
“I’d show up in the parking lot, open my trunk and they’d be like flies all over the place,” he said of interested players.
The era of such flies is long gone. Ianni estimates he still has about 1,000 MacGregor persimmons at home, but he brought only one to Firestone this week: a 1954 M85. Not to sell, but as a novelty for any curious touring pros to hit on the range.
One such taker was Alvaro Quiros of Spain, perhaps the longest hitter in professional golf. Quiros drove balls about 290 yards, by eyewitness estimates, and later said he liked persimmon better than metal because he could work the ball better. He said he hit the wooden-headed club about the distance of his 5-wood.
“The players these days, they laugh at these persimmon drivers,” Ianni said. “Most of these kids today don’t even know what persimmon is. They look at it like it’s some toy or something.”
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 4
Tom Gillis’ third-place finish at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational capped off an impressive stretch of golf from the 41-year-old, who epitomizes the term “journeyman.”
In his past four events, Gillis has a first (at the Nationwide Tour Players Cup), second and tied for third, with a T-31 thrown in the middle. He’s earned just less than $250,000 in that span, moving him to second on the tour’s money list with $270,796.
In the past 52 weeks, Gillis has made the cut in all 11 of his Nationwide Tour starts, finishing in the top 25 nine times and placing no worse than T-36.
Gillis has played in 26 countries during his pro career, including the European Tour from 1998-2002. He also won the 1994 Jamaican Open.
He started this season with partially exempt status on the Nationwide Tour after tying for 107th at the Q-School finals.
– Sean Martin Posted Aug. 4
Here’s how Tiger Woods said goodbye to Warwick Hills and the final Buick Open: He not only won for the third time, he wrapped up 35 consecutive under-par rounds at the course over nine starts.
Woods never finished worse than T-11 at the Buick. So saying goodbye wasn’t necessarily something he’d prefer to do.
But don’t feel sorry for him. He’ll remain cheered up this week in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone South. He’s won there six times.
Warwick what?
– Jeff Rude Posted Aug. 3
Lost in the shuffle of a Tiger Woods victory-LPGA/Champions Tour majors weekend was yet another victory by Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa.
The 17-year-old Ishikawa fired a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the Japan Tour’s Sun Chlorella Classic by one stroke ahead of Australian Brendan Jones.
Jones, No. 75 in the World Rankings last week, missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th before Ishikawa made a 10-footer to secure the win.
The “Bashful Prince” moved to the top of the Japan Tour’s 2009 order of merit. Let’s not confuse the level of competition in Japan with the PGA Tour, but Ishikawa is learning to win. This already is his fourth title. Only 90 more to catch Jumbo Ozaki!
Ishikawa, now ranked No. 57 in the world, has struggled in his PGA Tour starts and missed the cut at the Masters and British Open. Next up: a last shot at glory at the PGA Championship.
– Adam Schupak Posted Aug. 3
Tiger Woods often gets criticized for playing such a limited domestic schedule. The Tour mandates 15 starts, and it's all he can do some seasons just to get across the finish line. However, those same folks who hammer him for not playing enough should be taking notice after he not only showed up for the final staging of the Buick Open, but put on a performance fans will remember for a long, long time.
By now, we all know Woods' schedule by heart, filled with the majors, the WGCs, a few playoff events and the usual appearances at such stops as Memorial, Bay Hill and the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. Very rarely does an event not listed on the Top Entree portion of the Tour menu even get a sniff.
Frankly, the Buick Open doesn't necessarily represent one of the year's more upper-tier events, and no longer does he have an endorsement tie to Buick. Nor does the event fit that conveniently into his major preparations. By playing this week, it means the PGA Championship will be his third in a row, and we all know how fresh Woods likes to be for the big events.
Just by showing up at Warwick Hills this week, though, Woods gave a greatly needed boost to the event; everyone knows the Motor City was in need of a good B-12 shot. If this was the final Buick, then it went out in style after 51 years, and Woods was the man who sent it out in proper fashion. Only one other player in the top 20 even bothered to show up to thank Buick for its incredible run of support.
Take Woods out of the picture, and what you would have had was a Buick finale that featured a Senden/Chalmers/Letzig showdown, no cause for champagne in the New York offices of CBS. But Woods not only thanked the good fans of Detroit, but gave good reason to cheer. You've got to give the man credit for that.
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 2
I've been Punk'd. Did a few chores around the house in the hot Florida sun early Sunday morning, pointing my day toward being on the couch by 1 p.m. for the start of ABC's final-round telecast of the Ricoh Women's British Open.
And what a leaderboard greeted me when ABC's Terry Gannon and Judy Rankin came on the air. Karrie Webb was making a late charge. Paula Creamer was in the mix, trying to land her first major. Ai Miyazato and her newfound confidence was right in the thick of things. And Scotland's Catriona Matthew seemingly was stumbling and giving away shots and looking to rebound as she made the turn. In a word, I was 'glued.'
And then I get out the computer and flip to Golfweek.com only to see a winner already has been crowned. What a disappointment. Duped once again by the evils of tape-delay! Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!
Is it REALLY that difficult to show us this stuff live? It shouldn't be. So what's one man's silent protest toward ABC? The TV is now off, and I'm headed back to yardwork.
– Jeff Babineau Posted Aug. 2
CARMEL, Ind. – Tim Jackson deserves high praise for his performance in Saturday’s third round of the U.S. Senior Open.
The 36-hole leader at 11-under-par, Jackson admitted he was “a bundle of nerves” and said he “had some real mental struggles out there.”
Regardless, Jackson toughed it out and finished with a 1-over-par 73.
“I think he handled this incredibly well,” said Joey Sindelar, who was paired with Jackson in the third round.
After birdies on 5 and 7, Jackson was 2-under-par. For the final 11 holes, however, he missed five greens and didn’t have another birdie.
After 25 and 27 putts in the first two rounds, respectively, Jackson totaled 30 putts in the third round.
“I was fighting this right shot off the tee,” he said, “and then I tried to fix it and started hitting it left. It got in my head, and I lost a little confidence.”
Still, he saved par with delicate chip shots on three of the final five holes.
“I’m still in it,” he said. “I could still make some noise.”
– James Achenbach Posted Aug. 1
CARMEL, Ind. – The 480-yard par-4 14th is the hardest hole at Crooked Stick Golf Club, so Joey Sindelar was thrilled to see his tee shot carry the hazard that lurks between the tee and the fairway.
His second shot finished in high grass just to the right of the green, about 25 feet from the hole.
His third shot finished in high grass just to the left of the green, about 40 feet from the hole. Whoa! What’s this?
“What happened on your third shot, Joey?” he was asked.
“That’s called a shank,” Sindelar answered without delay. “The crowd was nice. The oohs weren’t very loud, and nobody laughed.”
Sindelar explained that the high grass (“It looked like a bowl of spaghetti”) grabbed the clubhead and altered its intended path.
The lie was much better on his fourth shot, and he chipped to within four feet of the hole and sank the putt for a bogey five.
– James Achenbach Posted Aug. 1
I haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing the infamous 16th hole at Phoenix’s FBR Open, but for my money there isn’t a rowdier and more boisterous crowd than the rabid fans at Warwick Hills’ 17th hole.
A year ago I overheard a husband tell his wife, “Is it me or do the crowds get bigger and bigger here every year?”
In past years, in fact, CBS’s Peter Oosterhuis has described the action at No. 17 from his perch at the 13th hole because it was so loud he couldn’t hear his producer in his headset. Last year, four state policemen protected the pond in front of the green to prevent fans from diving in for an afternoon dip. (This isn’t just a precaution. Trust me, it has happened.)
Earlier in the week, Woody Austin reflected on his favorite memory from winning the 1995 Buick Open: “I guess it was my first – since it was my rookie year, it was kind of my first experience with a rowdy crowd on 17. And I'd been playing with Freddie Couples the first couple days and having to hear [chants of] "Freddie, Freddie" always.
"So on Sunday when they were yelling "Woody, Woody," that was my first really good feeling of having a big crowd yelling my name. I thought that was really cool. So I'll never forget that.”
– Adam Schupak Posted Aug. 1
CARMEL, Ind. – All things considered, life in the senior lane is pretty good these days for members of the Champions Tour.
Compared to the LPGA Tour, which has been hammered by the fallout from a woebegone economy, the Champions Tour has hardly missed a beat.
Dave Senko, media official for the Champions Tour, painted an upbeat picture of the 50-and-over gang. Please keep in mind that Senko’s opinions were his alone and not meant to be an official representation of the Champions Tour.
“I think we’ve weathered the storm,” Senko said. “So far, at least. The reaction (of tournament sponsors) has been very positive. People like the uniqueness of the Champions Tour. It serves the sponsors well, and the players really get it – they are fun to be with.”
The Champions Tour lost a tournament this year sponsored by Ginn Resorts. For 2010, it appears an event in Valencia, Calif., sponsored by AT&T, will be a casualty.
On the other hand, one 2010 tournament will be added in South Korea and another new international event is likely.
Purses on the Champions are about one-third those on the PGA Tour. Most are in the $1.6 million to $2 million range, while most PGA Tour events have purses between $5 million and $6 million.
“I hear people say there will be no Champions Tour in five years,” Senko reflected. “I couldn’t disagree more. As long as there are golf tours, there will be a Champions Tour. I feel very confident in saying that.”
– James Achenbach Posted Aug. 1
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Broken hearts do funny things to people. Jiyai Shin broke up with her boyfriend of two years three weeks ago, and said she lost her focus for a little while.
When Shin arrived at the Evian Masters last week, she chatted with various players, including Morgan Pressel, about her heavy heart. Girl talk proved the perfect medicine.
“Now, I’m fine,” she said. “Now I’m just looking for a good guy.”
Well, it shouldn’t be hard to find one given Shin’s stature in Korea. Particularly if her fame rises even higher on Sunday with a second consecutive Women’s British Open title. Shin stands tied for third after three rounds, trailing Catriona Matthew by four shots. She’s the only player within seven shots of the lead who has won a major.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 1
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – There are two Miyazatos on the leaderboard here at Royal Lytham and one is really easy to spot: She’s playing the orange ball.
This is Mika Miyazato’s third tournament playing with what looks like a putt-putt ball. It’s actually a Bridgestone Tour Stage and works well with her “brand”. Miyazato goes by “Mikan,” which means “tangerine” in Japanese, thus the orange logo on her bag.
This marks Miyazato’s first trip to the U.K. Her home on Okinawa gets a fair amount of wind, making links golf all the more appealing to the diminutive rookie. She shot 69 Saturday and is tied for fifth, one shot behind compatriot Ai Miyazato. The surname is quite common on Okinawa.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 1
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Watched Lorena Ochoa post a beautiful par save from a greenside bunker on the 18th. As she signed for an even-par 72 in the trailer, the lead groups had yet to tee off.
Ochoa has been a nonfactor in all four majors this year, and it looks like she won’t break the top 10 in any of them. That’s pretty shocking really, given that she’s had at least two top 10s at the majors every year since 2004.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted Aug. 1
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Just when we thought golf was getting quicker we find out that officialdom is trying to slow the game down.
With the players out in two balls in the third round, play quickened considerably from rounds one and two when some three balls took nearly six hours.
Problem was, play got too quick, and it sent the BBC into a panic. So much so that devious means were used to slow the players down.
Catriona Matthew and Giulia Sergas teed off at 12:35 p.m. and got around so quickly that the BBC found itself with nearly 25 minutes of airtime to fill at the end of play until the broadcast ended at 5 p.m. local time.
It could have been worse had stalling tactics not been put into play. Matthew and Sergas were held up on at least two occasions at the end of their round. On the 15th hole, on-course marshals left the crosswalks open longer than normal to prevent the players from playing.
At the 17th, the two ball was held up while the players waited to hit their second shots. The red flag signalling that the semi-blind green was occupied was held up even though the green was clear. Fans around the green got so impatient that they started yelling for the players to hit.
So much for trying to speed up play! Peter Alliss of the BBC is always harping about slow play at professional level, then when players go too fast the organization he works for tries to slow things down.
You couldn’t make this stuff up, could you?
–Alistair Tait Posted Aug. 1
John Daly needs to take advantage of the few PGA Tour exemptions he receives. That hasn't happened at this week's Buick Open.
Daly followed up a first-round 76 with a ghastly 16-over 88 in the second round.
The 88 was remarkable considering Daly birdied his first hole – the 10th – and then the 13th. He was 2-under on the day until he bogeyed 15 and then double-bogeyed 18 to turn in 1-over-par 37.
And that's when it all fell apart.
Daly made a quintuple-bogey 10 on No. 1 and eventually finished quadruple-bogey-double-bogey on Nos. 8 and 9, respectively, to shoot a back-nine 51.
He's currently in last place.
– Ray McCarthy Posted July 31
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – One of the basic tenets of golf is that you keep up with the group in front, not ahead of the group behind.
Some of the competitors here seem to have forgotten that. In fact, some Ladies European Tour officials seem to have forgotten that.
Australian Karen Lunn played in a threesome with Shi Hyun Ahn of Korea and Anna Grzebien of the US. When they walked off the 11th green, the group ahead were walking onto the 14th tee. They were two holes behind.
Lest you think I’m picking on Lunn’s group – for there were other groups out of position – they should know better. Lunn is on the LET’s board of directors. Worse still, she had fellow board member Diane Barnard caddying for her.
No wonder play is so slow in women’s golf. – Alistair Tait Posted July 31
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Yesterday I brought the sad news of Europe’s leading Solheim Cup point’s earner. Today I bring more bad news for European captain Alison Nicholas.
Gwladys Nocera returned a 91 yesterday and left the course with tears in her eyes. Today she posted a 74 and left with some dignity.
Nicholas was the one who left with tears in her eyes.
Italy’s Diana Luna lies third on the European points table and is a definite to play in the match at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Nicholas might just wish she could leave her behind after Luna’s performance here at Lytham.
Luna returned a second round 81 to go with her opening 83 for a two round total of 164, 20-over-par.
She’s another European who isn’t going to strike fear into the hearts of American players.
– Alistair Tait Posted July 31
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Gwladys Nocera posted a respectable 2-over 74 Friday, but it didn’t do much to help her mood. The Frenchwoman was reportedly in tears before she started her second round after shooting a disastrous 91 in the first round.
“There’s nothing much to say,” said Nocera, who happens to lead the Solheim points race for the Europeans. “I’ve got to turn it around I guess.”
Quickly.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 31
CARMEL, Ind. — It amazes me to hear USGA officials swear with great conviction that bifurcation of the Rules of Golf will never occur, while at the same time they allow bifurcation of the senior age plateau.
Bifurcation, which means splitting into different segments, would result in two separate sets of equipment rules -- the first for touring professionals, the second for everyone else.
Those who favor a less lively golf ball for touring pros generally are advocates of bifurcation.
Age, though, is another story.
Here at the U.S. Senior Open, the minimum age is 50. Amateur Tim Jackson, a Timmy-Come-Lately who was tied for the first round lead, turned 50 in February.
The minimum age for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur also is 50, but the age for the U.S. Senior Amateur (men) is 55.
How did this happen? The USGA figures women don’t remain competitive as long as men, although I believe sweet-swinging Alice Dye would argue with that.
Many open tournaments for seniors started out with a stipulated age of 55, but all that changed after Arnold Palmer turned 50 in September 1979. The next year, the USGA endorsed the drop from 55 to 50 for the first official U.S. Senior Open. Shortly thereafter, all senior open events switched to 50.
The U.S. Senior Amateur, though, dates back to 1955. There was too much history to overcome, so the age remained at 55.
Any way you spell it, that’s bifurcation.
– James Achenbach Posted July 31
CARMEL, Ind. — I have attended all three U.S. Opens this year. That would be the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open. Only three writers accomplished this U.S. Open Slam in 2009.
My impression? All three feel like majors because the players treat them with reverence. The golfers seem more intense and more focused.
The Women’s Open and Senior Open are unquestionably the biggest and most important events on their respective tours. The U.S. Open and British Open sit together at the pinnacle of major championships.
Trivia quiz for the day: How many players in 2009 competed in both the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open?
Answer: Eduardo Romero, Fred Funk and Tom Lehman.
– James Achenbach Posted July 31
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – You can’t accuse Royal Lytham of short changing the elite of women’s golf. They are getting their full money’s worth of Lytham challenges at this week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open.
In round one the course played to type. The front nine played downwind and the back nine played into the wind – and it was brutal. That’s normal for Royal Lytham, where the prevailing wind is from the northwest. Average score for the back nine in round one was 41.6
The wind changed direction in round two and competitors got a bit of a shock. The outward nine played into the wind and the back nine downwind. The scores reflected the change in wind direction.
Only four players in the first half of the draw managed to break par on the front nine. That’s four out of 72. Only nine managed to play the front nine in level par. The rest struggled.
– Alistair Tait Posted July 31
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Italy’s Giulia Sergas came up with the best definition of what separates links golf from inland golf.
“They have personality,” was how Sergas typified the type of challenges you get at courses like Royal Lytham and nowhere else. “They are definitely not boring.”
Brilliant. I’ve been looking for a way to describe links golf for years and it took an Italian to come up with the words.
– Alistair Tait Posted July 31
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Catriona Matthew went eagle-ace on Nos. 11-12 before the heavens opened. The Scot stands even par for the tournament with six holes to play, hopefully not all in the rain.
The wind has switched directions today and is now coming from the south, meaning the back nine will play downwind. That should result in lower scores on the inward nine. – Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 31
CARMEL, Ind. – How perfect were conditions at Crooked Stick Golf Club for Thursday’s first round of the U.S. Senior Open?
“We had virtually no wind,” said Loren Roberts, who opened with 68. “The rain yesterday put some moisture back on the course, so you could go for the pins. The greens were really rolling good.”
What about the length of the course (officially 7,316 yards)?
“It’s not playing that long,” said Roberts, going for his second senior major in a row after winning the Senior Open Championship. “The fairways are running. Some of the tees have been moved up. Gosh, I’m a short hitter and I could have reached two of the par 5s today. I think they’re all reachable for a lot of guys in the field.”
Greg Norman, tied for the lead with 66, called them “perfect conditions” with greens “receptive enough so you can be aggressive with the shots.”
Will it stay this way?
“I’m sure the greens are going to be firmer tomorrow,” Norman said. “The greens were perfect this morning, but tomorrow (afternoon) they probably won’t be quite as good (because of wear and tear).”
Norman, Dan Forsman, Joey Sindelar, and amateur Tim Jackson were tied for the lead.
“You never know,” Forsman said. “Par could be a very good score tomorrow.”
– James Achenbach Posted July 30
CARMEL, Ind. – The influence of Tom Watson and his near victory in the British Open has touched many other players. Seve Ballesteros, for example, wants to play again in the British Open. Bravo!
Here at the U.S. Senior Open, Dan Forsman, 51, immediately began talking about Watson after finishing off a 66 that tied him for the first round lead.
“Are you working on anything new in your golf swing?” I asked him.
Replied Forsman: “Well, I was watching Tom Watson make those marvelous swings on a seaside links golf course with the wind whistling through his hair, and he made those shots with perfect balance almost every time. I admired that, and I’m trying to work on that.”
Forsman, all 6-foot-4-inches of him, is playing in his first U.S. Senior Open.
“Being 6-foot-4 and gangly, I’ve got a lot of moving parts and, as a result, I tend to be sloppy at times and lose my balance,” Forsman said.
So he creates a mental picture of Tom Watson. Elementary, and thank you, my dear Watson.
– James Achenbach Posted July 30
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dave Schultz, who shot a first-round 67 at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitationall, isn’t your typical pro golfer, and not just because he’s from North Dakota.
Pro golfers are known as a conservative bunch, but Schultz’s father, Ed, is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host and has a show on left-leaning MSNBC, “The Ed Show.” Schultz describes his father as the opposite of Rush Limbaugh.
Schultz declined to comment when asked if he shares his politics.
“My dad, obviously that’s his job, and my job is to play golf,” Schultz said. “When we get around the dinner table, it’s all about fishing, it’s all about hunting. We both kind of leave work at work. He knows what he’s talking about, he’s worked his butt off, and I’m really proud of him.”
Dave Schultz was an all-state quarterback at Fargo South High School, and almost played quarterback for the University of North Dakota before becoming an All-American at TCU.
Schultz, who has conditional status, started the week as the 10th alternate, found out he was in the field Tuesday, flew into Columbus Wednesday morning on his father's Cessna, then played the pro-am that afternoon. He’s 157th on the money list after making two of six cuts.
“This is a bonus week,” Schultz said. “I’m very happy to be here. My head’s in a great place. I’m just happy to be here. Obviously you want to take advantage of the situation, but I wasn’t expecting to be here, so it’s all good.”
– Sean Martin Posted July 30
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Walked the last four holes with Suzann Pettersen’s group and ran into Jiyai Shin’s caddie, Dean Herden. I mistakenly thought the defending champion had finished 1 over since she sat on that score for the most of the round. Turns out she double-bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18, finishing 5 over on the day.
Shin tried to cut 40 yards off the difficult par-4 17th by driving down the 16th fairway, leaving her 160 yards into the green. Shin ended up pulling her tee shot left, however, and botched up the plan.
Herden has caddied at Royal Lytham three previous times, including the men’s British Open in 2001. He said the men deemed the 16th hole out of bounds to keep players from taking the shortcut.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 30
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Catriona Matthew is making motherhood look rather routine. Playing for only the second time since giving birth to her second daughter, Matthew shot 2-over 74 in the opening round. Matthew said she found coming back after her second child much easier than the first.
“A bit nervous last week the first time out, but this week it is fine,” she said. “You don’t forget.”
The entire Matthew foursome is on hand this week, with Catriona’s parents looking after the girls while mom and dad work inside the ropes.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 30
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Europe’s chances of winning the Solheim Cup don’t look great – not when the player leading the Solheim Cup points race can’t get around Royal Lytham in fewer than 90 shots.
Gwladys Nocera leads the European Solheim Cup points rankings. But she won’t win the $2.2 million Ricoh Women’s British Open. In fact, she won’t even make the cut.
She isn’t likely to scare any member of the U.S. Solheim Cup team when the two teams face each other at Rich Harvest Farms, Sugar Grove, Ill., Aug. 21-23.
Nocera had two 8s on her first-round card for three triple bogeys, one double bogey, nine bogeys, four pars and just one birdie. The French player had nines of 44–47 for a 91.
Nocera’s back nine card needs repeating to be believed. Her figures were 3-8-5, 5-5-6, 5-5-5. She was 11-over-par for her last eight holes.
The Frenchwoman had good company. Playing companion Chie Arimura of Japan was only four shots better with an 87.
Karrie Webb, the third member of the group, returned a 77. She must have felt as if she was playing in a pro-am.
European Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas would do well to leave Nocera on the bench should the wind blow at Rich Harvest Farms. Nocera clearly isn’t at her best in a breeze. –Alistair Tait Posted July 30
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The hardest-working man this week at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course may be Paul Pope, the scoreboard calligrapher for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational. Pope estimates he’ll write 22,000 numbers this week between the scoreboards in the media center and outdoor for the public.
At least this is a home game for Pope, who lives in nearby Hilliard, Ohio. He’s on the road almost 30 weeks a year, doing the scoreboards for everything from junior events to the pro tours.
The best round that Pope’s ever written? Jason Gore’s 59 at the 2005 Cox Classic in Omaha. An autographed copy of that scoreboard hangs in Pope’s office. – Sean Martin Posted July 30
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – Looking at the Ricoh Women’s British Open leaderboard Thursday afternoon, we see what the U.S. Women’s Open was missing: star power. The two most popular names in the women’s game – Natalie Gulbis and Michelle Wie – are tied for first through six holes at Royal Lytham. They’re paired together as well for the first two rounds. Neither qualified for Saucon Valley.
Angela Stanford, another strong American player, is already in the clubhouse with an impressive 2-under 70.
Solheim captain Beth Daniel must be smiling. Wie might make this an easy decision for her.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 30
LYTHAM ST ANNES, England – There’s a truism at Royal Lytham & St Annes that many players have learned to live by when playing this Open Championship course.
“You have to make your score on the front nine at Royal Lytham and try to hang on to it on the back nine,” is how two-time British Amateur champion Gary Wolstenholme describes he Lytham challenge.
Wolstenholme’s words rung true at the beginning of the first round. After two days of rain and little wind, Royal Lytham suddenly showed her teeth. The breeze came out of the northwest, the prevailing wind, meaning the outward nine played mostly downwind and the inward nine into the wind.
It meant the back nine was playing anywhere between 3 to 6 shots harder, and sometimes more, than the front nine. Early scores reflected the difference in the nines.
In Laura Diaz’ case it was a ten shot differential. She was out in 33, and home in 43. Par on the back nine is 37 compared to 35 going out, but even so, 10 shots is a big margin.
Of the first 10 groups, Brittany Lincicome and Angela Stanford were the only players to shoot level par. Everyone else was over par coming home.
Welcome to the challenge of Royal Lytham!
– Alistair Tait Posted July 30
GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Looking for a longshot to root for in the Buick Open? How about mini-tour player Matt Harmon, a graduate of Michigan State. He received a sponsor exemption into the Buick Open when Paul Azinger withdrew.
Harmon would have earned one of the four spots in the Monday qualifier, but he missed a playoff for the final spot by a shot after he called a two-stroke penalty on himself for a mistake his caddie made on the ninth hole.
With Harmon preparing to play from the sand, Harmon’s caddie walked over to the other side of the bunker, picked up the rake from inside the hazard and used it to clean up the rake’s impression in the sand. It was a seemingly harmless gesture, but that’s considered testing the bunker while Harmon’s ball was still in the hazard, violating Rule 13-4(A).
As a result, Harmon shot 68, but recorded 70. Another example of knowing your rules. At least this story had a happy ending.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 29
GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Amateur Matt Hill had left his home in Ontario Monday morning and started the four-plus hour drive to Columbus, Ohio, for this week’s Nationwide Tour stop there.
Less than 30 minutes into the trip though, the phone rang and Buick Open tournament director Robb Grainger offered him a sponsor exemption into the field.
Change of plans.
“I had to make a quick U-turn,” said Hill, the reigning NCAA individual champion from North Carolina State.
It was a much shorter trip – 75 minutes – across the border into neighboring Michigan and Hill arrived in time to tour Warwick Hills CC with Webb Simpson (a Wake Forest grad) and Brendon Todd. This will be Hill’s third PGA Tour start of the year (AT&T National and RBC Canadian Open).
– Adam Schupak Posted July 29
GRAND BLANC, Mich. – With the Detroit Tigers on the road, the big ticket for players to score last night was the Dave Matthews Band at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in nearby Clarkston.
Johnson Wagner, a self-described big DMB fan, rallied his caddie, Brendon DeJonge, his Virginia Tech college teammate, and Scott Sterling to attend the jamboree. I drove past the exit for the amphitheater and the line of cars filled with fervent fans stretched for miles.
“Yeah, getting in and getting out was brutal,” Wagner said. “But it was worth it.”
For the record, the band opened with “Proudest Monkey” and closed the show with “Don’t Drink the Water.” – Adam Schupak Posted July 29
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – With so many bunkers at Royal Lytham, it’s easy for members to forget a few from time to time. However, you’d expect the official yardage book to make sure they have counted every one.
Seems the guys doing the books didn’t manage to get a complete count.
Royal Lytham only measures 6,492 yards for the Ricoh Women’s British Open Championship. Even for the men’s Open it measures just less than 7,000 yards. It will be stretched to just over 7,100 yards for the 2012 Open Championship. That won’t trouble the top men in this age of power golf.
What will trouble the men and the women are the Lytham bunkers. As Michelle Wie stated, the bunkers here are “definite hazards” – 202 definite hazards to be precise.
Eight new bunkers have been added in recent months, however you wouldn’t know that from looking at the yardage books produced for the players this week.
Club professional Eddie Birchenough was looking at the yardage book when he noticed two bunkers had been omitted from the 11th hole.
Oops!
– Alistair Tait Posted July 29
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – It was hard to tell England’s Lauren Taylor she had done well to earn an alternate spot in the Women’s British Open
Taylor, a member of Woburn Golf Club, was involved in a 14-player playoff at Fairhaven Golf Club for one spot into the championship after a 1-over-par 75 in final qualifying.
Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall took the final place. However, Taylor earned the second alternate spot behind Scotland’s Kathryn Imrie.
Taylor was looking glum Wednesday afternoon on the practice putting green as she worked on her stroke. She’d just found out that every eligible player had registered by the deadline.
It means Taylor has to be at the course for the opening round waiting to play should two players drop out. With a first tee time of 6:30 a.m. and the last at 3:38 p.m., that means a long day waiting in the slim hope that she gets into the championship.
Taylor worked on her putting stroke beside Se Ri Pak, Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and other LPGA stars. She then played a practice round with defending champion Jiyai Shin and Young Kim.
That didn’t seem much consolation for Taylor. “She’s pretty gutted (depressed) right now,” her father said.
Taylor should have been over the moon. After all, she’s only 14 years old!
– Alistair Tait Posted July 29
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Good news. Ricoh announced an agreement to continue sponsoring the Women’s British Open through 2013. Paula Creamer sat in the middle seat while the Ricoh deputy president and LGU CEO signed the dotted line.
In light of all that’s happened in the last several months with LPGA sponsors, it was more than a ceremonial moment.
“I think it’s kind of a statement that took place this afternoon,” said Creamer, who is in the middle of a two-year sponsorship herself with Ricoh. “It does feel good to see that piece of paper signed right in front of me.”
The LGU and IMG also announced two terrific venues for 2011 and 2013: Carnoustie and St. Andrews. This will mark the first time the Women’s British will be held over the famed Carnoustie. The women first played St. Andrews in ’07. – Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 29
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Yani Tseng had more three-putts at the Evian Masters than she’d care to remember. So on Tuesday at Royal Lytham, she put a new Ping D66 putter in the bag.
“I’ve been pulling it a lot,” Tseng said. “This putter matches my stroke.”
Tseng is particularly excited about this week since it’s her first tournament on a links course. She played the Old Course at St. Andrews for fun two years ago on a calm day and shot 65. Her first British Open was last year at Sunningdale, a parkland layout, where she finished second.
“You have to think a lot,” said Tseng of Lytham. “You don’t want to be aggressive on this course.”
That’s a mature observation from Tseng, who’s almost always aggressive. – Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 29
GRAND BLANC, Mich. – I’m a big fan of the Dennis Walters’ Golf Show. The man is an inspiration. And he always offers up some good nuggets. Such as this one: When he asks the juniors in attendance at his youth clinics why a club made of titanium is called a wood they invariably say, “Because of Tiger Woods.”
When Walters asked a child recently why the clubs were named after Woods, the child responded: “Because Tiger is the first good golfer.”
“I can’t make this stuff up,” Walters said. Then he introduced the child to names like Snead, Hogan, Nicklaus, Palmer…
– Adam Schupak Posted July 28
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tadd Fujikawa’s tie for 15th at last week’s Cox Classic was his best finish in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, and good enough to earn a spot in this week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational. Fujikawa could not play this week because of a prior commitment to a tournament on the Japan Tour, though.
Fujikawa has made some major progress this year. He’s made the cut in three of four PGA Tour starts (finishing T-32, T-52 and T-31) and finished 15th in his only Nationwide event of the year. Most importantly, he’s been able to bring his game to the continental United States. Before this year, he was 0 for 8 in cuts on the lower 48.
Fujikawa, 18, is scheduled to make his first Q-School appearance later this year. Oh, they grow up so fast.
– Sean Martin Posted July 28
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – So why did Lorena Ochoa change caddies?
“With Greg (Johnston), for him, it’s a little bit easier to get into me, the thoughts, and to help me a little bit more,” Ochoa said. “That’s one of the reasons why I change. I think it’s somebody that is going to help me in a positive way, and that’s what I’m looking for out there.” – Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 28
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – It’s the end of July, and I’m wearing two pairs of socks. It’s rainy and cold at the Ricoh Women’s British Open, and I’m not terribly optimistic about the rest of the week after looking at the forecast.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 28
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – Among those who Monday-qualified for the British Open at Fairhaven Golf Club: Jill McGill, Reilley Rankin and Anna Rawson.
Caroline Hedwall, a sophomore at Oklahoma State University, endured a five-hole playoff to qualify as an amateur.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 28
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England – As I went through customs this morning in Manchester an agent mentioned that he had met a Korean player the day before.
(Well, there’s 47 on tour so hard to guess.)
He then mentioned that she won the Ricoh Women’s British Open last year. Ah, Jiyai Shin.
“That’s the one,” he said. “Nice girl.”
Shin is far from a household name in the U.K., or the U.S. for that matter, but she’s considered a favorite out here every week.
Wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she repeats.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 28
Think of Ai Miyazato’s victory in France Sunday as the equivalent of Michelle Wie breaking through over here. Scratch that, it’s bigger.
Miyazato is a rock star in Japan, and the LPGA has web traffic numbers to prove it. Her Evian Masters win ranks as the second highest for a non-major in overall page views with more than 6.5 million, according to the LPGA. Thirty-five percent of those who visited LPGA.com last week were from Japan.
This tour needed some good news.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 27
OAKVILLE, Ontario – Before departing the Canadian Open, I made my way over to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, located on the grounds of Glen Abbey Golf Club. Canada’s favorite golfing son Mike Weir will be inducted this year and in honor of his achievement they opened a special exhibit, including Weir’s green jacket for winning the 2003 Masters. But my favorite item was the white handkerchief with a thin green stripe that Weir’s junior coach Steve Bennett used to wipe away his tears of joy.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 27
OAKVILLE, Ontario – Kevin Sutherland recorded the eighth hole-in-one at the RBC Canadian Open. That doubles the previous PGA Tour record of four in a tournament at the 2004 John Deere Classic.
Sutherland aced the par-3 seventh hole, which played 129 yards today.
This has me thinking, which is always a dangerous thing. It’s great to offer a car as a prize. Who can forget Rich Beem leaping on top of a Nissan when he recorded an ace at the Nissan Open? But Leif Olson aside, who had earned only $19,562 prior to this week, do Tour players really need another car? Isn’t this a case of the rich getting richer?
Instead, I suggest a fan at random be awarded the car. Maybe you sign up online for a particular player for that round. Someone smarter than me can work out the details. Crazy talk? Perhaps, but I remember listening to New York Yankees games in my youth and hearing Phil Rizzuto name off John from Flatbush or Mary from Queens as the contestant in the Grand Slam Inning. If any batter went deep with the bases loaded the contestant won a new TV set from the sponsor. I think it was Panasonic back in the day.
Anyway, “The Scooter,” as Rizzuto was called, usually weaved in a story about having a delicious cannoli in Flatbush. He made it entertaining. And the chances of a grand slam in that particular inning was as rare as a hole-in-one. But I remember Mel Hall blasting a bomb once and feeling happy for Mary from Queens or whoever the lucky winner was. Seems like it would be a good PR stunt for some enterprising company and create at least one more interested fan. Somebody in Ponte Vedra Beach, get to work on this! – Adam Schupak Posted July 27
The city of Kansas City has no plans to honor 59-year-old Tom Watson for his storybook run at the British Open, according to Kevin Wicker, director of local events and development for the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation.
“Had he won, I’m sure we would have done something,” Wicker said. “But (Watson) really doesn’t like that sort of thing, so we decided against it.”
Watson finished runner-up to Stewart Cink at the British Open after losing in a playoff on July 19. He made his way to the Senior British Open this week, where he finished T-8, five shots out of a three-way playoff for first place.
There is a tournament in Kansas City named for Watson, and it has to be one of the country's more interesting events. The Tom Watson Challenge, conducted by the Kansas City Golf Association, gives the areas top pros and amateurs a chance to go head-to-head with the legend. Watson won this year’s event by five strokes, shooting 7-under 209 for three rounds at Shadow Glen Golf Club in Olathe, Kan., on June 13-15.
– D.J. Piehowski Posted July 27
The latest from the “time flies” department:
It was seven years ago that Derek Tolan played the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black as a 16-year-old. Now he’s a professional himself, after wrapping up his college career at the University of Colorado earlier this year.
Tolan has won twice in his two months as a pro - at the San Juan Open in New Mexico and at this past week’s Colorado Open, where he shot 22-under 262 at Denver’s Green Valley Ranch to win by four over John Douma, who has four runners-up and a victory in the past five Colorado Opens.
Between those two performances, Tolan has banked $38,000 and a Rolex. Not a bad start. – Sean Martin Posted July 27
OAKVILLE, Ontario – Mark Calcavecchia just wrote himself into the PGA Tour record books with nine consecutive birdies during the second round of the Canadian Open.
Calc’s birdie barrage began at the par-3, 12th hole (his third of the round), and continued through the par-5 second hole.
The previous record of eight consecutive birdies was jointly held by six players: Bob Goalby (1961 St. Petersburg Open, final-round 65), Fuzzy Zoeller (1976 Quad Cities Open, first-round 63), Dewey Arnette (1987 Buick Open, first-round 65), Edward Fryatt (2000 Doral-Ryder Open, second-round 69), J.P. Hayes (2002 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, first-round 65), and Jerry Kelly (2003 Las Vegas Invitational, third-round 65). Omar Uresti made nine consecutive birdies on the Nationwide Tour in the 1994 Shreveport Open.
Now I hate to rain on Calc’s parade, especially since it’s rained enough in Canada this week already, and not to diminish the feat, but do we need to apply an asterisk to the record since they are playing lift, clean, and place? Roger Maris says no. Us media types? We’re not so sure. Let the debate begin.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 25
Michael Sim and Kevin Johnson, the only two-time winners on this year’s Nationwide Tour, were paired together for the first two rounds of the Cox Classic. Johnson missed his fourth consecutive cut, but Sim shot rounds of 66-65 and is two shots off the lead with two rounds remaining in Omaha, Neb.
Sim, a 24-year-old Australian, would set several records if he were to win this week:
• He would become the fastest player to three wins (10 events). Jason Gore needed 11 starts in ’05; he got his third win in Omaha, shooting 59 in the second round.
• Sim would set the record for earliest date for a player to earn his third victory (July 26).
• The $130,500 winner’s check would give Sim $518,617 in Nationwide Tour earnings this year, making him the first player to crack the $500,000 mark on the tour.
He’s made $618,925 this year when you throw in his winnings from his T-18 at the U.S. Open; that total would rank him 101st on the PGA Tour money list, about $5,000 ahead of U.S. Open runner-up David Duval.
• The No. 2 and 3 players on the money list – Kevin Johnson ($253,445) and Roger Tambellini ($250,760) – both missed the cut this week.
If Sim were to win (and no one passes Johnson or Tambellini), he’d more than double their earnings this year and lead the money list by $265,172, the largest margin in tour history. Sim set that record earlier this year ($211,136) after his win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am.
Also of note, 18-year-old Tadd Fujikawa is tied for fourth place. If he were to win, it would break Jason Day’s tour record for youngest winner. Sim and Fujikawa will be paired together Saturday.
– Sean Martin Posted July 24
OAKVILLE, Ontario – This is my first trip north of the border to the city of Toronto. My immediate assessment: I could definitely head up the magazine’s Toronto bureau.
I’m basing my decision less on the fact that it is regarded as one of the most ethnically diverse, cosmopolitan cities and more on the fact that at most of the exits on the QEW (the Queen Elizabeth Way) there are big blue signs informing you of the names of all the golf courses if you exit here. It's just tempting you to make a detour. So I was pleased to see that golf people abound in the land of hockey.
I also experienced my first poutinerie for the Canadian “delicacy” consisting of fries, gravy and cheese curds. Those are your basic ingredients in a poutine. I ordered one with chicken, bacon and onions, hold the mushrooms. The defibrillator on the side was extra. And the place stays open until 4 a.m.
Toronto: my kind of town.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 24
OAKVILLE, Ontario – Peter Lonard and Joe Durant must’ve been busy buying the Molson and Labatt’s last night. Each had a hole-in-one at Glen Abbey GC during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open.
Lonard aced the 203-yard, par 3 12th hole with a 6-iron. Durant said he hit a smooth 8-iron 4 feet past the hole at the 147-yard, seventh that sucked back in.
“I was a little stunned,” Durant said.
Not sure whether he was talking about his shot or his bar bill.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 24
OAKVILLE, Ontario – The threesome of Lee Janzen, Nathan Green and Cliff Kresge had better not have early dinner reservations tonight. Due to the lengthy weather delay at the Canadian Open, they are scheduled to tee off the 10th hole at – get this – 8:40 p.m. EST.
So are Nick O’Hern, Bill Haas and Jeff Overton off the first tee. If the weather holds up and they do tee off “on time,” there’s a good chance that darkness could delay play and force them to hole out in the morning nearly 12 hours later. Now that’s what I call slow play.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 23
OAKVILLE, Ontario – Luke Donald wants to tee it up so badly Thursday at the RBC Canadian Open that he volunteered to squeegee a green.
“Do you need us to get out there and help with a squeegee?” he asked a PGA Tour official, with a smile.
Play was suspended at 8:38 a.m. when heavy downpours hit Glen Abbey Golf Club. The rain stopped around 1 p.m., and they are hoping to have the course ready to start play again at 4:10 p.m.
With the threat of inclement weather looming, the lift, clean and place/preferred lies rule was put into effect prior to the start of the round. That rule was in effect in all four rounds of last year’s Canadian Open, making it one of just two events in 2008 to do so (the other was the AT&T Classic outside Atlanta).
The 2009 RBC Canadian Open is the fifth event of the season to be played with preferred lies.
Meanwhile, players are killing time on the driving range and practice putting green. Scott McCarron traded his long putter for Joe Ogilvie’s short stick. The smart move of the day goes to Trevor Immelman, who told his caddie to go get more balls before they run out and likely have to pick the range by hand due to the wet conditions. Players who have afternoon tee times have been calling in to find out if they will need to show up at all today.
Don’t bet on it. The word is another rain cell is expected.
“Bet you a loonie we don’t play today,” said Scott Piercy’s bagman to his fellow caddies, referring the Canadian dollar coin.
There were no takers. “See you at 8 a.m. tomorrow,” one answered as he walked off to find another way to whittle away the afternoon.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 23
Before we jump to conclusions and suggest Stewart Cink will parlay his British Open victory into bigger and better performances, consider that it doesn’t always work that way in golf.
Just when you think a player might springboard to further greatness after winning a big tournament, his game can spring a leak. There are many examples. Ian Baker-Finch. David Duval. Craig Perks. Trevor Immelman.
I used to buy into springboards but don’t anymore because I’ve seen too many declines and plateaus that follow a big trophy.
Which brings us back to Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion with the brilliant swing and nice personality. He has had something of a lost season so far, not finishing better than 19th this year in 11 PGA Tour starts.
He’s a bit of a news story this week at the RBC Canadian Open because this is his first start since the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He has been recovering from a wrist injury.
– Jeff Rude Posted July 23
Jamie Lovemark has turned professional and will make his pro debut at this week’s RBC Canadian Open. Golfweek first reported May 20 that Lovemark did not plan on returning to USC for his senior season. He has been recovering from a rib injury first suffered at the NCAA West Regional in mid-May.
Lovemark will be represented by IMG, and has signed with Nike Golf.
“I’ve been able to play in a number of professional tournaments already, so I know it is a big challenge, but I’m looking forward to pushing myself and working to become a better player,” Lovemark said.
Lovemark also will play next week’s Buick Open.
– Sean Martin Posted July 22
Gary Woodland’s rookie season on the PGA Tour is over. The 25-year-old withdrew from the Canadian Open and will have season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Woodland has tried to play through inflammation in his rotator cuff since early March.
Woodland has made 10 of 18 cuts this year, with a best finish of T-28 at Mayakoba. Woodland also tied for 47th at the U.S. Open. He’s earned $121,031 and ranks 195th on the money list.
“The question isn’t whether I can play well enough, because I know I’m capable of playing well,” Woodland told the Topeka Capital-Journal. “The question is, even if I make the next nine cuts, do I have the strength to go four days in a row? It’s been evident over the last four months that I get tired over the weekend. I just don’t have the strength and the shoulder to play four days in a row.”
– Sean Martin Posted July 22
What happened to the Tour’s consecutive cuts streak leaders last week at the British Open? They suddenly all got a case of the weekends off.
The top three – Tiger Woods (36), Charley Hoffman (26) and Hunter Mahan (22) were all Friday trunk slammers at the British Open – or do they call it a boot slammer on the other side of the pond?
Your new consecutive cuts leader is – drum roll please – Kenny Perry with 22.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 22
The Buick Open has lost its defending champion for the second time in three years. Last year’s champion, Kenny Perry, announced Tuesday that he is pulling out of the event to spend time with his cancer-stricken mother.
“It’s a great tournament, and I love the course, but I need to be with my family right now,” Perry said. “We have some tough decisions to make over the next few weeks.”
Perry’s mother, Mildred, is under hospice care as she battles multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.
Perry, 48, has made 18 starts this season, winning twice and losing in a playoff at the Masters.
What would minimize the loss of Perry to the field? Oh, how about if two-time former Buick Open champion Tiger Woods showed up. Some might say he owes the good people of Michigan a show. After all, two years ago, Tiger Woods skipped defending his title after the birth of his first child. Last year, Woods also missed the tournament after having reconstructive knee surgery. Not to mention that Woods endorsed Buick for nine years. Tournament officials surely are waiting with bated breath to hear from the 2002 and 2006 champion. Tiger and the rest of the field have until 5 p.m. Friday, July 24, to officially commit to playing.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 21
Rickie Fowler has announced he will play as a professional at the
Nationwide Tour’s Soboba Classic Oct. 1-4. It is the first event Fowler
has said he will play as a pro.
The event will be played at The
Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, Calif., about 40 minutes
from Fowler’s hometown of Murrieta. The Soboba Classic is one of two
events on this year’s Nationwide Tour schedule with a $1 million purse
(along with the Nationwide Tour Championship).
Fowler, the No. 2 player in the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com World Amateur Rankings, has said he will turn pro after the Walker Cup Sept. 12-13.
– Sean Martin Posted July 20
Talk
about finding a fill-in. When Canada’s high priest of hoops, Steve
Nash, had to pull out of the inaugural Mike Weir Charity Classic,
tournament organizers scored a slam dunk replacement. “His Airness,” Michael Jordan, will tee it up
Monday at Glen Abbey Golf Club, in the kickoff to this week’s RBC
Canadian Open. For Jordan, it will be a scouting opportunity too – and
not for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats team of which he is a part-owner.
Jordan will serve as one of Fred Couples’ assistant captains of the
U.S. Presidents Cup team in October.
– Adam Schupak Posted July 20
Some stats following British Open week:
Tiger Woods has now played 10 events in the last 52 weeks and is No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
In all of 2009, Wood has lost to just 56 players. At the British Open, he lost to 73.
Woods has missed six cuts as a pro in 235 starts.
Missed cuts (as a pro): 1997 Canadian Open 1999 Sprint International 2005 Byron Nelson 2005 Funai Championship 2006 U.S. Open 2009 British Open
At
the British Open, there were 22 players who finished ahead of Woods for
the first time - including five who were in a tournament with Woods for
the first time.
Ross Fisher has finished ahead of Woods in
consecutive common starts. He may be the only player in the world that
can currently say that.
– Lance Ringler Posted July 20
TURNBERRY, Scotland – It was 8:15 p.m., the sun was still up, and Turnberry was growing quiet. Except, that is, for the small crowd gathered around 16-year-old Matteo Manassero.
The reigning British Amateur champion from Italy had a few hours earlier finished at 2 over to earn a share of 13th and the prestigous silver medal, but as he walked to the locker room for the final time he was stopped for a series of autographs.
He signed each one. Then, a man showered Manassero with so much praise the young man blushed and tried to deflect much of it.
“You’re great,” the man said. “You beat Tiger.”
– Jim McCabe Posted July 19
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Difficult as it might have been to steal away any joy from the Cink family in the aftermath of Stewart’s British Open wind, a sore spot was discovered during a conversation with the sons regarding the series of pitch and putt matches they had on the course in front of the famed Turnberry Hotel.
“Who won?” 12-year-old Reagan was asked.
He scowled and pointed to 15-year-old brother Connor.
“He did. He always win,” Reagan said.
Yeah, but dad won the big one, so everyone can enjoy that.
– Jim McCabe Posted July 19
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Tom Watson was thinking of the task at hand
Sunday at the 138th Open Championship, but alas, he also had a few
thoughts of yesteryear tucked away inside that 59-year-old brain of
his.
When he got out to the most beautiful part of the golf course, on the
tee at the scenic par-4 ninth, in front of Turnberry’s lighthouse and
with the Irish Sea crashing into the shore, Watson thought of an old
pal.
“I remembered being there with Jack (Nicklaus, in 1977),” said Watson.
“We had to wait for the crowd to kind of get under control, and I was
thinking about Jack.”
He also had a little needle for Nicklaus as well. When recapping the
day that was on Sunday, when his dream to tie Harry Vardon with six
Open titles fell one shot shy and he lost in a playoff, he noted that
while he can remember each and every shot he hit in his ’77 victory
(and other victories), Nicklaus, who lost to Watson by one, claims he
cannot remember any of his shots that day.
“Now it’s going to be like Jack,” said Watson after finishing second.
“I’ll never remember what club I hit anytime during the whole
tournament.”
– Jeff Babineau
Posted July 19
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Tom Watson did say Sunday he will play at St.
Andrews next July, in what everyone expects to be his final British
Open. He put the onus on the press to question to those on the R&A
Championship Committee to revisit the rule that says past champions
cannot compete (unless they qualify) after the age of 60.
So we caught up with R&A chief executive Peter Dawson in front of
the Turnberry clubhouse late Sunday evening and asked him if the rule
might be revisited.
“We don’t do things on the hoof, on the fly like this,” he said. “We
look at all our exemptions every year, top to bottom, and we’ll look at
this one. I can’t tell you what the outcome will be.”
The R&A used to have a limit of 65 years, but reduced the limit to 60 years a few years ago.
“It was all to do with feeling that we wanted to make sure there were
as many places in the field as possible available to younger golfers
who, if they are in their primes they’ll have a better chance at
competing. Tom is very much the exception; I don’t think we wrote that
rule contemplating that we’d have a 59-year-old leading coming down the
stretch in the Open.
“We just didn’t contemplate it.”
Neither did we.
And what if Watson had won on Sunday? He'd have received a 10-year exemption, taking him to age 69.
– Jeff Babineau
Posted July 19
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Matteo Manassero would fit into any college program anywhere in the United States. In fact, college coaches would shift heaven and earth to recruit the 16-year-old Italian.
It ain’t gonna happen.
Manassero reiterated his desire to finish high school and turn professional.
The kid from Verona has three years left of high school before he hits the European Tour.
Whether he graduates might be a moot point. With a joint 13th place finish in the Open Championship and the silver medal as leading amateur, Manassero proved he can play with the world’s best.
Perhaps more importantly, he proved that he can play faster than the world’s elite. He plays with a speed that is refreshing and sadly lacking in the pro game.
As for college golf, the answer is no.
Manassero, who got into this championship through winning the British Amateur Championship last year, said high school is a priority in his life.
However, it sounds as if it isn’t really his priority.
“My parents want me to finish school,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I will finish.”
He will be under pressure to turn pro sooner rather than later. He’s in the record books as the youngest winner of the British Amateur, and the youngest winner of the silver medal since the R&A introduced a prize for leading amateurs 60 years ago.
In August he will try to make more history when he attempts to become the first player to win the British Amateur and British Boys’ Championship in the same year. Manassero has entered the Boys Championship at Royal St George’s.
Manassero should make a fortune in the pro game. Too bad he won’t do so as NCAA champion.
– Alistair Tait Posted July 19
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Can he do it? Yes.
Will he do it? Who knows?
Two
things are certain. One, you know who “he” is. Two, Tom Watson, aka he,
has a good chance to win the 138th British Open just 46 days shy of his
60th birthday.
The third-round leader by one, Watson has a good
chance because he’s playing well and he probably is the best links
golfer of the last two or three or more generations. He has won five
Opens and three Senior British Opens. He knows how to maneuver his
chess pieces around a place like Turnberry, where he outdueled Nicklaus
in 1977, had a chance in 1994 and won the Senior Open in 2003.
Over
the last three days he has gone from nice, nostalgic story to real
threat. I don’t think he’ll go away. He might not win, but I think
he’ll be in the mix. Why? His experience and the fact Turnberry is a
positional course where it’s hard to get the ball close, where hitting
an approach 30 feet away is fine on most holes.
Should he win,
the achievement would move to the top of greatest golf feats – better
than Jack Nicklaus winning the 1986 Masters at 46.
Why?
On
the cusp of 60, he would set a record that never would be broken. Most
records are chipped away at, beaten incrementally here and there. But
Watson would bust Julius Boros’ record of oldest major winner by more
than 11 years. Boros was 48 years, 4 months, 18 days when he won the
1968 PGA Championship.
What’s more, Watson would tie Harry
Vardon with six Claret Jugs. And, remarkably, he’d win majors 34 years
apart. That would be another unbreakable one.
Go ahead and dream. It could happen.
– Jeff Rude Posted July 18
TURNBERRY,
Scotland — It was autograph time and Jim Furyk was more than willing to
accommodate after a third-round 70 left him just three off lead.
There is, however, a rule he abides by. “I don’t sign golf balls,” he said to a young girl as she pressed it toward him.
“But it’s your golf ball,” she said, and Furyk observed that it was a Srixon and indeed could have been his.
“I’m very glad you have it,” Furyk said, “but I still don’t sign golf balls.”
Thinking
quickly, the girl reached down and removed her golf shoe. It was dirty
and well worn, but she seemed to think it was worth the try. When Furyk
signed it, people laughed.
“But you sign dirty golf shoes?” he was asked.
Furyk nodded his head. “Yes, I sign dirty golf shoes.”
– Jim McCabe Posted July 18
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Looking for a third-round charge from someone here at the British Open? It might be done with a 71 or 72 at the rate we’re going.
That’s another way of saying you needn’t expect a flood of red numbers on what is fondly referred to as “moving day.” With 11 players having finished their rounds, only Bryce Molder (67) broke par and the cumulative score for those 11 players was 32-over par with just 25 birdies.
Molder’s strong effort has allowed him to push up the leaderboard. Having started with 52 players ahead of him, he sits at level par, tied for eighth.
– Jim McCabe Posted July 18
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Midway through, the 138th British Open is all about T.W.: Tom Watson co-leads at age 59, Tiger Woods misses his fifth cut as a professional.
Which one is more surprising?
Overall, Watson. Even though he has had success at Turnberry, he hasn’t finished better than 10th in a British Open in two decades. And did we mention he’s a couple of months shy of 60?
That said, the most surprising development of all is that Woods went 7 over par over a six-hole stretch Friday (Nos. 8-13). That’s about as rare as anything you’ll ever witness in golf. But he lost control of his ball on a windy, positional links course that calls for a golf version of chess. –Jeff Rude Posted July 17
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Mark Calcavecchia yesterday mentioned his
“unusual accommodations” at the British Open over the years. People in
the interview room laughed because, well, they know about unusual
accommodations over here.
Myself, I could fill a hard-cover book on the subject, but this is a blog, so I’ll be brief.
This week I’m not sure whether to start with the loud farm animals
outside my bedroom window, the phone-booth shower or the low ceilings
that are a constant hazard to the head of anyone over 5-foot-7.
• Farm animals: I woke up my first night here in our fine country home
to some loud groans down the dirt road. I attribute the sharp noise to
horned animals that appeared to be goats, but I’m not sure.
• Phone-booth shower: This is Day 4 of taking a shower in a phone
booth. Superman changed in one, I shower in one. I fear not slipping
and falling in the shower for it would be impossible to fall; the
close-in four walls wouldn’t allow it.
Rather, I fear breaking the glass every time I raise my elbows and
apply soap to either armpit. I envision shards of glass flying
everywhere and water splashing on everything and blood being shed. I
also fear dropping the soap because there would be no way to pick it up.
Just how far apart are the walls? Two size-14 feet, end to end. I
measured because, well, it dawned on me that I should blog about this
while showering yet again in a phone booth.
• Low ceilings: This morning I bumped my head on the low, angled
ceilings only four times, none requiring a bandage. One such hard hit
yesterday produced a bump that need treatment with considerable massage.
That’s not too bad. Last year or the year before we stayed in a house
built by a midget. One had to duck just to enter a room. Everyone there
over 5-7 bumped his head at least 10 times a day. The players weren’t
the only ones who needed head doctors that week.
Alistair Tait, our European correspondent, does a wonderful job of
procuring rented homes for us over here year after year. But two things
should be noted about the man we call Allstar: He stands about 5-8 and
he has never nicked his head.
It follows that he wasn’t the one who went to the drug store – or chemist, as they say here – to buy tape and bandages.
– Jeff Rude
Posted July 17
TURNBERRY, Scotland – How do you pass 23 guys in the standings? Hit a
few practice putts, swing a couple drivers on the practice range,
that’s how.
It’s all Tiger Woods did, but it was enough to walk to the first tee in
a tie for 45th, sitting 1-over. When he left the course after his
opening 71, Woods was tied for 68th, so he’s obviously moving in the
right direction at the 138th Open Championship.
Of course, his day is just beginning here on the Ayrshire Coast. If
Woods expects to continue his move forward, he’ll be expected to do so
with his clubs, which just got placed into action with a
fairway-splitting iron off the first tee.
– Jim McCabe
Posted July 17
TURNBERRY, Scotland – The good news? From the 14th tee on, “I actually played all right,” Ben Curtis said.
As for the first 13 holes, well, your 2003 British Open champion smiled and shook his head.
“I didn’t hit it very good. I didn’t drive it very good. I didn’t putt it very good.”
Mix it together, throw in a confounding wind direction, and you get a
recipe for quite a collapse. From an opening 65 that had Curtis in a
share of second, he went for an 80 and currently sits joint 101st.
Actually, he probably is sitting somewhere near a laptop, trying to
change his travel plans and get back home. His stay at the 138th Open
Championship is most likely over, even with half the field still on the
course.
It was quite a crash, given that Curtis actually birdied the first hole
to get into a tie for the lead at 6-under. But he plaed the next nine
holes in 9-over and simply couldn’t get off the bogey train.
There was plenty of company in his three-ball, however, because Mike
Weir shot 78, a day after opening with a 67, and he, too, figures to
miss the cut at 5-over.
“If you play this course 50 times, you’ll never see wind like we had it
today,” Curtis said. When he sensed that it sounded like an excuse, he
asked for a qualifier.
“But it wasn’t the wind. I just hit a lot of bad shots.”
– Jim McCabe
Posted July 17
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Steve Stricker is among several players who shot 66 in the British Open first round at Turnberry. But his situation is different from the others. The winner of last week’s John Deere Classic can be just the sixth player since 1949 to win a major the week after winning a PGA Tour event.
Tiger Woods was the most recent, in 2007, when he won the WGC Bridgestone Invitational the week before the PGA Championship.
Here’s more reason Stricker faces long odds: Since 1934, only Lee Trevino won the British Open the week after succeeding at a Tour event.
“I feel good about my game,” Stricker said. “The only uncertainty was the emotional hangover from victory last week and jet lag. I kissed my wife and kids goodbye and I was on the plane and I was here. It was almost like last week didn’t happen.”
– Jeff Rude
Posted July 16
TURNBERRY, Scotland – For a long while Thursday morning, the British Open had the feel of a Champions Tour event. If there was a bumper sticker to be attached to the world’s oldest golf tournament, it was, “Old Guys Rule.”
Tom Watson, 59, shot 65.
Mark O’Meara, 52, shot 67.
Mark Calcavecchia, 49, shot 67.
What in the name of old bones is going on here?
Links golf experience, for one thing. All three said as much.
“I see some kids (who) don’t play shots the way I would play them,” Watson said. “Experience is very important here. Certain shots the kids are unfamiliar with.”
– Jeff Rude
Posted July 16
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Mark Calcavecchia not only thought about his longtime pal Ken Green right after shooting 67 in the British Open first round, he had a dream about him the night before.
“He had his prosthesis on and came over to my house,” Calcavecchia said of the dream.
Green was fitted for a prosthetic right leg a couple of days ago in Orlando, Calcavecchia said. A recent MRI also showed that Green suffered torn ligaments and tendons in his left ankle, he said.
Green, 50, a Champions Tour player, underwent an hours-long amputation June 15 a week after suffering injuries when his recreational vehicle blew a tire and struck a tree on an interstate in Mississippi. His brother Bill, girlfriend Jeanne and dog Nip died in the accident.
“He’s going to play golf again,” Calcavecchia said. “He’s going to surprise people and do some good.”
– Jeff Rude
Posted July 16
TURNBERRY, Scotland – First bogey of the 138th Open Championship? It
goes to the Royal & Ancient for allowing a TV tower to be
constructed in spot where players would most likely hit.
Sure enough, three times in the first 15 games a player was impeded by
the tower, which sat some 290 yards down the left, probably 15 yards
off the fairway.
Sergio Garcia was one victim. But because the tower blocked his swing,
the Spaniard got a drop and slammed a 180-yard shot through the green.
He got it up-and-down with a deft pitch.
In Game 15, Tiger Woods also became ensnared after an errant drive.
Like Garcia, Woods got a drop that he ripped through the green. Unlike
Garcia, he did not get it up-and-down and thus made the first of his
four bogeys.
– Jim McCabe
Posted July 16
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Arnie’s Army it ain’t, but David Duval has a
loyal fan club here at Turnberry – even if it seemed to number just two.
Too small to matter? Perhaps, but consider the tidy arrangement they
had. They each wore a black “D” on their t-shirt and thus when they
stood side-by-side they were DD.
Double D. David Duval, get it?
A nice added touch was the “5” and the “9” that they had on the backs
of their shirt. That’s right, 59, as in the score Duval once shot at
the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
The hope is, however, that they don’t mix up the order and stand so that 95 is displayed.
Horrors of a thought, but let the record show that Duval opened with a 71.
– Jim McCabe
Posted July 16
TURNBERRY, Scotland – It has been said for decades that the caddie’s creed is simple: Show up, keep up, shut up.
Glen Murray, who caddies for Sergio Garcia, was faithful to another command: Collar up.
So his neck didn’t get burned by the Scottish sun? No, sir. Instead,
Murray is helping his man’s endorsement campaigns, because when he
flips up that collar, “Michelob Ultra Light” is displayed.
– Jim McCabe
Posted July 16
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Busy few weeks ahead for Tom Lehman. Consider this his Major Summer.
Having turned 50 earlier this year, Lehman will bounce between the regular and Champions tours in search of major bounty in the coming weeks. Having tied for 47th at the U.S. Open at Bethpage, he will play the British Open at Turnberry this week, the Senior Open at Sunningdale (England) next week, then play the U.S. Senior Open and the Champions Tour’s Jeld-Wen Tradition.
Oh, and in between those last two, Lehman will sneak in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in his home state of Minnesota next month. He had yet to qualify, but has been informed by the PGA of America that it will extend a special invitation to its former Ryder Cup player and captain.
“Busy summer,” says Lehman. An understatement, to be sure. – Jeff Babineau Posted July 15
TURNBERRY, Scotland – A somber start to the 2009 Open Championship. After the final group teed off today at roughly 2:30 p.m. today (the course then closes for final opening-round preparations), a memorial service was held midway down the first fairway for former caddie John “Scotty” Gilmour.
Gilmour, who caddied for Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Mike Hill, passed away in May at age 75 after a brief battle with cancer. His friends say he truly was one of a kind. Mike “Fluff” Cowan, who has been a caddie on the PGA Tour dating to the 1970s, said the Scottish-born Gilmour was one of the original global caddies, toting bags across Europe and in the U.S. long before globetrotting in golf became fashionable.
“All the golfers will tell you he was a very good caddie, very good at what he did,” said Barbara Edwards, who was married to Gilmour for 23 years. “He lived for the golf. He lived through golf.”
Caddies at Turnberry this week spurned opportunities to see Bruce Springsteen and The Pretenders at separate venues to attend a memorial on Tuesday night, during which Gilmour’s favorite drink – red wine – was hoisted in his honor at a pub in Girvin, a short drive from Turnberry. On Wednesday afternoon, several friends gathered again as his ashes were spread near the right-side bunker down the first fairway.
Colin Montgomerie, playing in that last group, stopped by to offer his respects.
Trained as a master carpenter, Gilmour learned to caddie on the links at Turnberry. He was stationed here at Turnberry in the Royal Air Force and would caddie on the weekends. He worked eight years on the bag of Tony Jacklin, and teamed with a resurgent Mike Hill on the Champions Tour, where Edwards said he was on the bag for 14 of Hill’s 18 victories.
“He even caddied for (President) Dwight Eisenhower,” said Edwards. “He was a guy who was well-loved by everybody. I wasn’t the only one who always used to tell him he should write a book.”
– Jeff Babineau Posted July 15
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Just one man’s opinion, but the R&A double-bogeyed the Thursday-Friday pairings by grouping Tiger Woods, Ryo Ishikawa and Lee Westwood together. Those tents you see on the grounds at Turnberry might as well be circus tents.
Woods and Ishikawa have the biggest media entourages in golf, and Westwood is a local favorite.
That’s too much entourage and not enough peace.
That’s too much commotion inside and outside the ropes.
That’s probably a shame for all three players and their concentration.
–Jeff Rude Posted July 15
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Paul Lawrie might have tamed Carnoustie and bettered the world’s elite, but a 9-hole course and a 10-year-old boy brought him to his knees yesterday.
Ten years ago, Lawrie shot a final round 67 around the beast that was Carnoustie to earn a spot in a playoff against Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard that Lawrie then won.
Yesterday he went down with a whimper to his 10-year-old son Michael on the shortest course at Turnberry. “I don’t usually win those matches, and yesterday was no exception,” Lawrie said.
Lawrie seemed to be thankful he’s playing the Ailsa course this week and not the short pitch and putt course that sits in front of the Turnberry Hotel.
“It’s not easy,” Lawrie said. “Michael had an easier time on it than me.”
How does Michael Lawrie, 2030 Open Championship winner sound? –Alistair Tait Posted July 15
TURNBERRY, Scotland – What does a former Open Champion do to warm
up for the 138th version of the game’s oldest championship? He plays
golf, obviously – and then he plays even more golf.
The
nine-hole pitch and putt course at the front of the Turnberry Hotel is
a popular place with guests wanting to sharpen up their short game in
preparation for the championship Ailsa Course.
Seems it’s also good preparation for former Open champions.
Paul
Lawrie, the 1999 champion, spent a full day at Turnberry on Tuesday. He
played a practice round, hit balls, chipped and putted. He even went to
the gym. Then, when he could have been forgiven for putting his feet up
with a nice cup of tea, he went and played the pitch and putt course.
Dressed
in his gym clothes, Lawrie played with youngest son Michael. I can’t
report the winner of the match, but I can say that the 10-year-old has
a good looking swing.
A chip off the old block, you might say.
– Alistair Tait Posted July 15
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Looking at the British Open vs. the world rankings is an interesting proposition.
With
the world rankings in place in 1986, Greg Norman won his first of two
British Opens. That year Norman was No. 3 coming in. Since then the
winners world ranking has been all over the map. Only three times the
Open winner was ranked No. 1 in the world – 2000, 2005 and 2006 when
Tiger Woods won his three Claret Jugs.
Conversely, the winner
has come from outside the top 100 three times – John Daly was ranked
109th at St. Andrews in 1995, Paul Lawrie was ranked 159th in his
playoff win at Carnoustie and Ben Curtis was the lowest-ranked at 396
winning in 2003 at Royal St. George’s.
Even with the large
swings in world rankings, the winners are more likely to come from the
higher-ranked players. In the last 23 years, 12 of the winners have
come from the top 10 in the world.
– Alex Miceli Posted July 15
TURNBERRY, Scotland – A few words related to Lucas Glover:
1.
Bob Bubka, the booming golf radio voice, picked Glover to win the U.S.
Open. That’s right, before the tournament and on international air.
Given
his recent prowess as a prognosticator, I asked Bubka his pick for
Turnberry. “Tiger,” he said. “Tiger always like to do things Jack never
did, and Jack never won an Open at Turnberry.”
Fair enough–and not exactly walking off a long ledge.
2.
Glover read something like four books U.S. Open week. So it’s no
surprise he finished one on the airplane to Scotland and has another
one ready to read this week.
He not only reads, he touts.
“The last one was Greg Iles’ The Devil’s Punch Bowl,” Glover said. “Good read. Pick it up.”
– Jeff Rude Posted July 14
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – We Brits can get a bit sniffy about the title of this great
championship. The official name is the Open Championship, so we get a
bit agitated when it gets referred to as the British Open.
Of
course, people from around the world usually prefer the latter title.
Why wouldn’t they? The championship is, after all, played in Britain.
Imagine the flak Ian Poulter has got for continually calling the tournament the British Open.
“I did say it the other day and got caught up on it,” Poulter said. “So sorry, ‘Open Championship.’”
Poulter then asked a very good question: “Does it really matter?”
The answer, of course, is no. Still, Poulter vowed to call the tournament by its proper title from now on.
“Sorry if I offend anybody with saying it or having said it. It won’t happen again.”
The
Englishman shouldn’t get his knickers in a twist. Even the R&A has
been known to slip up on the title. I remember watching an old R&A
film in which one former R & A secretary refers to the tournament
as the “British Open.”
So if the R&A can do it, then Poulter shouldn’t feel too bad.
However, the bottom line is it doesn’t really matter, despite what the purists say. –Alistair Tait Posted July 14
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – As Jim McCabe points out below, Scots are pretty good at
hedging their bets when it comes to the weather. There’s good reason
for that. Mother Nature is so changeable in this part of the world that
Scotland can often experience four seasons in the same day.
However,
residents of this part of the Ayrshire Coast have a saying that’s
apropos this week. It concerns Ailsa Craig, the huge rocky island that
sits just off the coastline.
Here what the locals in this part of the world say about the chances of rain:
“If you can’t see Ailsa Craig then it’s raining. If you can see it then it means it’s going to rain.”
Now that what you really call hedging your bets.
–Alistair Tait Posted July 14
TURNBERRY, Scotland – For nearly 20 years Graeme Heinrich has done the
yardage books for the European Tour. Heinrich, a former caddie who has
looped for Nick Faldo among others, is here this week.
But he has competition.
Heinrich stands by the entrance to the clubhouse with his stack of
books in his hand. They are vital tools in the arsenal of any player
here.
They are beautifully crafted, too. Graeme has recently introduced photos into his books to better show lines off the tee.
Graeme sells his books for £20. I remember back in the 1990s when the books only cost £5.
Graeme’s problem is that he has opposition standing outside the
clubhouse selling books for just £15. Some caddies being a bit on the
stingy side have opted for the cheaper books.
“I’ve been doing this for nearly twenty years and yet I’ve got guys
complaining about the price,” he said. “They don’t understand the
amount of work that goes into producing these books. It takes me about
72 hours to get them together.
“There’s no loyalty these days,” Graeme mumbled.
Still he was pretty upbeat anyway. “Tiger bought two books off me, and
Lee Westwood and Ryo Ishikawa have one of mine too (those three play
together in the opening round).
“So at least I’ve got the lead group.”
–Alistair Tait
Posted July 14
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Dressed head-to-toe in rain gear, Steve Marino
sauntered off one of the putting greens, headed to the first tee for a
practice round at Turnberry.
The thought occurred: Was this his first British Open?
Marino
confirmed it was. In fact, “It’s the first time I’ve seen links,” he
said. “The only other time I’ve been overseas is Japan.”
And we all know that you don’t find links golf in Japan, right?
Marino
smiled, then said he was headed to the course to see what it was all
about. He had been entered into the Open Championship Sunday when
Shingo Katayama withdrew and Marino was excited about the experience.
Good thing, too, because within two minutes the sky opened up and sheets of rain came down. Welcome to the British Open, Steve.
– Jim McCabe Posted July 14
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – Further to yesterday’s blog, Paul Lawrie and Davis Love III
won’t discuss Love’s alleged comment about Lawrie winning at Carnoustie.
It’s already been discussed.
As I reported yesterday, Love allegedly said: “Carnoustie got the champion it deserved.”
The pair play together for the first two rounds, so it seemed all set up for a bit of tension. It won’t happen.
Lawrie and Love played together at Troon in 2004, and that’s when the matter was raised.
“We’ve
already dealt with it,” Lawrie said. “There was a lot of stuff in the
newspapers in 2004 about what he reportedly said. He came over to me on
the putting green at Royal Troon and told me he did not say what he is
reported to have said.
“I believe him because the man isn’t
going to stand in front of me and tell lies. I have no problem playing
with Davis this week.”
–Alistair Tait Posted July 14
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – For those who are looking for a controversy fresher than the
Carolyn Bivens-LPGA Tour tussle, you are in luck.
Meet those darling, but dueling Scots: Sandy and Monty.
That
would be Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie, who share Scottish roots,
but not an ounce of love. Their cold war figures to get even more
intense given this morning’s back-page headline in the Scottish Sun:
“You’re a Cheat Monty.”
In the story, Lyle dredges up an
infamous incident involving Montgomerie in Jakarta during the Indonesia
Open several years ago. Spotting dangerous weather, Montgomerie walked
off the course with his ball in rough near a bunker. When he re-started
the next morning, somehow the ball was in a much better lie.
“You
had a situation where Monty dropped his ball badly in that overseas
event,” Lyle was quoted as saying. “That is a form of what you would
call cheating.”
Call it a “lover’s spat,” because where the
fellow Scots have in the past been friendly and also teammates, they
can hardly stand one another, most of it stemming from the 2010 Ryder
Cup captaincy.
Lyle would have loved to have been given the job,
but it went to Montgomerie. Lyle would have loved to have been named a
vice-captain, but that never happened, either.
“I rang him a few
times straight after the decision but didn’t get a reply,” Lyle said.
“Eventually, I got a letter but I had the impression (it) was written
by his manager.”
Good fodder for the tabloids over here and it
figures to remain so for another day or so. After all, it’s only
Tuesday and the competition doesn’t start until Thursday.
– Alex Miceli Posted July 14
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – When it comes to hedging predictions, the meteorologists
over here are unmatched. Their forecast for Thursday’s first round, for
instance: Mostly dry with sunny spells and 40 percent chance of showers.
It will be dry, unless it rains. That about covers it all.
– Jim McCabe Posted July 14
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – Gold stars, perhaps, are in order for the four players who
this week will record perfect attendance in British Open appearances at
Turnberry.
Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, and Sandy Lyle are in Thursday’s starting lineup, as they were in 1977, 1986, and 1994.
Watson,
of course, won the epic 1977 British Open at Turnberry, while Norman
prevailed in 1986. Faldo’s best finish at Turnberry was a fifth in ‘86,
though he was also in the top 10 (T-8) in 1994 when Nick Price won.
Lyle, who was an amateur in 1977, recorded his best finish at Turnberry
with a tie for 30th in 1986.
In all, 20 players here this week teed it up when last the British Open visited Turnberry, in 1994.
Some
notable footnotes from Turnberry: It was here, in 1977, where Sir Henry
Cotton shot 93-82 in his final Open Championship appearance; Andrew
“Chubby” Chandler, more heralded as an agent than a former European PGA
Tour player, made his only British Open cut in seven tries here in
1986, shooting 78-72-78-74 to tie for 65th; of the top eight finishers
here in 1977, seven are in the World Golf Hall of Fame – Watson, Jack
Nicklaus, Hubert Green, Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Arnold Palmer, and
Raymond Floyd. (The lone wolf? George Burns, who tied for fifth.)
– Jim McCabe Posted July 14
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – Tiger Woods is playing in his third major since his
improbable victory at the 2008 U.S. Open. And for the third time, he
enters as the favorite, though it hardly mattered at the season’s first
two majors.
The odds were 11-5 for Woods to win the Masters,
with Phil Mickelson 8-1 and Padraig Harrington 15-1. The winner, Angel
Cabrera, could have been had at 125-1.
Rolling in on a win at
the Memorial, Woods was 7-4 to win the U.S. Open at Bethpage. Mickelson
(12-1) and Geoff Ogilvy (20-1) were the next biggest favorites, while
eventual champ Lucas Glover went off at 7-1 as part of the field,
siince he didn’t rate a separate entry.
Riding into the British
Open after a win at the AT&T National, Woods leads the list of
favorites this week, at a whopping 5-2. So dominating are the prospects
of his win that Sergio Garcia is the second-biggest favorite – and he
can be had at 20-1. Harrington and Rory McIlroy are next at 25-1.
By
the way, these lines are out of Las Vegas and not with bookmakers here,
but still, it gives you an idea as to the power of Woods.
– Alex Miceli Posted July 13
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – Twenty years ago, back in those days when you would have
embraced heather with more joy than you would Nick Faldo, the
Englishman wouldn’t have allowed a reporter within 400 yards of him
while he took on a practice round for the Open Championship.
But now that his playing days are over and he’s a member of the media himself, Faldo pretty much loves the attention.
So
there he was on the 17th tee, holding court for TV reporters who were
following his practice round at Turnberry. It was raining, it was
windy, it was getting cold, but Faldo was more than willing to lend his
time.
Indeed, times have changed.
– Jim McCabe Posted July 13
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Brett Quigley’s decision to turn down the
exemption that goes to the lowest top-five finisher not already exempt
into the British Open is the latest in a string of notable happenings
that have made the John Deere Classic one of the most intriguing
tournaments of the year.
Certainly, it would be hard to
argue that the exemption hasn’t done what it was intended to do when
put in place in 2004, because the Deere has received notoriety from it.
The year-by-year history of that exemption:
2004: Mark Hensby wins in a playoff over John E. Morgan, then enrages golf
writers in the U.K. by turning down the exemption. Says he doesn’t know
links golf, doesn’t have time to learn it, and, besides, his passport
is back home. PGA Tour officials compound the problem by stating that
the exemption goes to Morgan, a Brit, and that seemingly soothes things
over in the U.K. – at least until it is learned that media officials
within the PGA Tour erred. The spot cannot be passed on and Morgan is
not in.
2005: PGA Tour rookie Sean O’Hair not only
accepts the British Open spot after a stunning win, but runs through
hoops to get there. Calls and letters on his behalf to political
leaders secure a last-minute passport (O’Hair didn’t have one), and he
makes it to St. Andrews Wednesday afternoon, plays a twilight practice
round, then finishes tied for 15th.
2006: Like O’Hair,
John Senden treats his win at the Deere with the greatest glee, for it
gets him into just his second British Open. He finishes T-35.
2007: Jonathan Byrd wins and gets a chance to play in his first British Open. He finishes T-23 at Carnoustie.
2008: For the first time, Deere tournament officials arrange for a private
charter to get players over to the British Open on Sunday and officials
implore competitors to remember their passports. Kenny Perry doesn’t
need one, because he has announced he won’t play in the British Open,
though he’s qualified. Jay Williamson and Brad Adamonis lose to Perry
in a playoff and both are eligible for the exemption; to decide who
goes, officials use final-round scores as a tiebreaker. Williamson (69)
goes over Adamonis (70), then finishes tied for 39th.
2009: Tim Petrovic double-bogeys the 72nd hole to squander his chance at the
exemption, which goes to Quigley. But Quigley doesn’t have his passport
with him, cites a number of other reasons, and turns down the exemption.
– Jim McCabe Posted July 13
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – Open draws always throw together a few intriguing groupings,
but the 2:31pm tee time on Thursday is perhaps the most intriguing.
Davis Love III plays alongside 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie and Australia’s Stuart Appleby.
That seems a fairly innocuous three-ball until you remember what Love is alleged to have said about the 1999 Open.
Carnoustie
was dubbed “Carnasty” in 1999 when deep rough off the fairways
pole-axed most of the field. Lawrie was the surprise winner when he
proved the only one able to handle the extreme conditions over the four
days. His closing 67 moved him through the field into a playoff with
Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard.
“Carnoustie got the champion it deserved,” Love is alleged to have said. He has denied making the statement ever since.
Here’s betting it won’t come up in conversation on Thursday. Just as well, or Appleby would have to act as referee!
– Alistair Tait Posted July 13
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Rodney Wooler is feeling pretty good about his chances this week.
“Mucker,”
as he is known on the European Tour, caddies for Scotland’s Gary Orr.
The 42-year-old Scottish professional is far from a favorite to win
here, but Mucker is feeling good anyway.
The veteran caddie is
known for a bet or two, and he’s thinking of a few quid on his man this
week. Not because he thinks deep down that Orr can win The Open –
although Mucker certainly wouldn’t say that – but because Turnberry has
a special place in the Englishman’s heart.
Mucker has two top-10 finishes in Open Championships over the Ailsa course – and he was only here for one.
He
caddied for David Feherty in 1994 when the Northern Irishman finished
fourth. Eight years earlier, he was caddying for Gordon J. Brand when
the Open was played for the second time at Turnberry.
Only thing
was, Mucker didn’t actually caddie for Brand in 1986. Brand decided he
wanted his sponsor to caddie for him and gave Mucker the week off.
Mucker wasn’t pleased, but Brand mollified him by promising he would be
paid for the week and he’d get his percentage, too.
Brand
finished second to Greg Norman, so Mucker got a fairly healthy check
for not carrying a bag. The money got even better when Mucker cashed in
after backing his man at 40/1 to be the top British player.
“Turnberry’s been very good to me,” Mucker said as he surveyed the landing area on the eighth hole. – Alistair Tait Posted July 13
TURNBERRY, Scotland – Dave McNeilly is used to the, ahem, job security that goes with being a professional caddie.
As
a veteran bagman of almost 30 years, McNeilly knows you can be the talk
of the tour one day and toast the next. Right now McNeilly is the
latter, although he’s not too concerned.
The affable Irishman
had been caddying for long-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros until a few
weeks ago. They seemed to make a good team.
Quiros won this
year’s Qatar Masters on the European Tour and finished second in the
European Open. However, a T-72 and a missed cut saw the Irishman
surplus to requirement.
“We had two bad tournaments and he decided it wasn’t working out and wanted to try somebody else,” McNeilly said.
The
Irishman is now caddying for tall Englishman Chris Wood, the low
amateur at last year’s Open Championship. Wood should feel fortunate to
have such an experienced caddie at Turnberry. McNeilly caddied here for
John Daly in the 1994 Open Championship.
McNeilly seemed in a
happy mood as he walked the 13th hole with Wood, but then the Irishman
is always in a good mood. He’s been there, done that and got all the
T-shirts. Nothing fazes him. That was obvious from his one word
reaction to getting dumped by Quiros.
“Whatever,” McNeilly said with a smile.
– Alistair Tait Posted July 13
TURNBERRY,
Scotland – Martin Kaymer is enjoying the plaudits that come with
winning his fourth European Tour event, but for some players it’s
getting a bit tired.
Geoff Ogilvy did what many players did
today at Turnberry and congratulated Kaymer on winning the Barclays
Scottish Open at Loch Lomond yesterday for his second consecutive
European Tour title.
“Well done,” Ogilvy said as he shook Kaymer’s hand. “Again.” Then he couldn’t resist a little humorous dig at the young German.
“It’s getting a bit boring, isn’t it?”
Kaymer had the perfect reply.
“Not for me it isn’t.” – Alistair Tait Posted July 13
LUSS, Scotland — Geoff Ogilvy is one of the most laid-back guys in golf. He’s also one of the most honest.
Ogilvy
will enter Turnberry next week as one of the favorites to win the Open
Championship. Just don’t expect him to wax lyrical about Greg Norman’s
victory there in 1986.
Ogilvy has no recollection of it.
A journalist asked the 2006 U.S. Open Championship for his memories of Norman winning the first of two Open Championships.
Ogilvy
said all he could remember was Norman wearing a yellow sweater.
However, Ogilvy only knows Norman wore yellow through looking at
pictures after Norman’s victory.
“I was only nine years old in
1986,” Ogilvy said. “The British Open was on in the middle of the
night. My parents weren’t going to let me stay up to watch golf.”
The
affable Australian could have lied. He could have spun some story about
being inspired by Norman, and watching every minute of the
championship. Others would have done so, but that’s not his style.
That’s
one of the refreshing things about Ogilvy. He is as honest and genuine
as the day is long. He’s also one of the most unassuming of superstars.
He’s
the sort of guy you hope wins more major championships. Unlike some
other superstars who shall remain nameless, Ogilvy seems to get it. He
knows just how lucky he is to be earning a nice living from playing
golf. – Alistair Tait Posted July 11
LUSS,
Scotland — If you’re wondering why Adam Scott seems to have
rediscovered his game here in Scotland, then you might have to walk
with his gallery and see who’s in it.
You could be forgiven for
thinking you are at a different sporting event when you notice the
unmistakeable figure of tennis ace Ana Ivanovic following Scott’s every
move.
The Australian wouldn’t comment on the relationship,
preferring to keep it private. However, it seems Ivanovic, the 2008
French Open winner, has helped turn Scott’s game around after a
miserable time recently in which he has fallen to No. 43 in the world.
Maybe
Scott has taken a leaf out of Greg Norman’s book. After all, Norman
contended for last year’s Open Championship with tennis legend and new
wife Chris Evert by his side.
I wonder if Ivanovic will be at
Turnberry next week? If she is then Scott might be worth a little
wager. It could turn out to be a good investment, if Norman is anything
to go by. – Alistair Tait Posted July 10
Padraig
Harrington has struggled much of this year, but he has one good omen
going for him as he looks for a third consecutive British Open title
next week at Turnberry – he won the Irish PGA Championship Saturday.
Harrington preceded each of his Open Championship victories with a win
at the Irish PGA.
Harrington won this year’s affair by seven
strokes over Brian McElhinney, the 2005 British Amateur Champion.
Harrington finished at 1-under 283 (68-70-73-72) at The European Club
in Wicklow, Ireland.
Harrington has just one other top-10 worldwide this year (a T-5 at Abu Dhabi) and has missed his past five cuts.
– Sean Martin Posted July 11
LUSS, Scotland –Jean-Francois Lucquin lived up to that old adage that says beware the injured golfer.
The
Frenchman nearly pulled out of the Barclays Scottish Open before the
third round after an incident with his laptop in his hotel room.
“I
tried to jump over the cable and fell over it,” he said. “I banged my
knee into the corner of the table and I thought I was out of the
tournament.”
Lucquin pulled up his left trouser leg to show the bandaging around the knee. It looked bad.
“On the range this morning I thought I had no chance to play.”
He
tried hitting balls with just his arms, because when he took a full
swing his knee hurt when he transferred his weight. Thankfully, there
was help at hand. A visit to the tour’s physio unit allowed him to
fashion some sort of swing.
He’s glad he played. He hobbled his
way to a 5-under 66, which included a personal best six consecutive
birdies from the 9th hole.
As for the laptop, computer geeks will be happy to hear it survived.
–Alistair Tait Posted July 11
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Honestly, can’t say enough good things about Alexis Thompson’s
game. She’s currently tied for eighth at the U.S. Women’s Open at age
14. She’s currently Golfweek’s No. 1 ranked junior, and as soon as Azahara Munoz turns professional, will be Golfweek’s No. 1 amateur as well.
Can one mention Thompson’s name in the same breath as Michelle Wie?
“I
think you can,” said Thompson’s instructor, Jim McLean. “You could see
that Michelle was very special, but the one thing I see is that Alexis
competes and wins a lot of tournaments. I’m not saying she’s better
than Michelle was at that age.”
Thompson won’t be the first junior star McLean has taught to top both the amateur and junior polls at the same time.
“Cristie (Kerr) did that at 17,” McLean said. “For Alexis to do that at 14 is unbelievable.”
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 10
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Americans are 1-2-3 heading into the weekend of the U.S. Women’s
Open. Considering what this tour has gone through in the days leading
up to this event, that’s about as best-case scenario as it gets.
Cristie
Kerr, a former U.S. Women’s Open champion, is joined by Paula Creamer,
the tour’s top-ranked American and Jean Reynolds, an unknown Southern
charmer.
Where are the Americans?
“I think we’ve answered that,” Kerr said.
Americans also finished 1-2-3 at the year’s first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 10
LUSS, Scotland – Colin Montgomerie might not win this week’s Scottish Open, but he just can’t keep out of the headlines.
Monty
was the back page lead in the Scottish Sun. Under a headline that read
“BLAME IT ON THE BUGGY,” a story highlighted how Monty had blown his
top when he got stuck in a cart jam.
Seems Monty lost his temper
when stewards held up the cart taking him from the golf course to the
clubhouse. The stewards stopped the cart to let spectators cross the
9th fairway.
That’s when Monty lost his cool. He stormed off the cart, ducked under the ropes and walked the rest of the way.
Monty losing his temper? Imagine that? –Alistair Tait Posted July 10
LUSS, Scotland — It’s easy to understand why people wax lyrical about the scenery around Loch Lomond.
Your television pictures will tell you this area is not short of superlatives.
Here’s what Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano had to say about the place known for its “bonny, bonny banks.”
“I
cannot think of any better place to play golf in the world when the
weather is like this. It’s paradise. Heaven must be like this.”
I grew up here. In fact, I remember as a boy stealing chestnuts on the land the course now occupies.
It’s true: when the sun is shining the place is heaven on earth. Trust me, though, it can also be hell.
When
the rain has fallen steadily for what feels like weeks on end, when the
sun seems to have taken an extended vacation, when there are years when
summer never turns up, it can be pure hell.
Anyone who was here
for the 2000 Solheim Cup will remember when Wellington (rubber) boots
were the only footwear required. That’s when the late Dai Davies, The Guardian golf writer, hailed Loch Lomond as the “boggy, boggy banks.”
– Alistair Tait Posted July 10
LUSS,
Scotland – A village not far from Loch Lomond is unlikely to produce a
world-class golfer anytime soon. A sign in the village park hints at
that.
The village of Renton lies about 15 minutes drive from the scene of this week’s Barclay’s Scottish Open.
Renton
is famous for being arguably the first world champion soccer team. The
village team claimed that title in 1888 when, as Scottish Cup holders,
they took on English FA Cup holders West Bromwich Albion and won.
Things went down hill from there. There is no Renton team playing at any decent level in Scottish football.
There won’t be any golfer from Renton making an assault on world fairways in future either.
A huge sign in the park reads “NO GOLF.”
I suppose it’s necessary so that Tiger Woods wannabe’s don’t brain some little child on the swings or the slide.
Still,
it’s last thing you expect to see in land where golf is supposed to be
a national pastime, especially when the national open is being held
just up the road. –Alistair Tait Posted July 10
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Pat Hurst, who lost a playoff to Annika Sorenstam in the 2006
U.S. Women’s Open, withdrew before Friday’s second round of the 2009
championship with a displaced rib.
The rib bothered Hurst during the first round, when she shot 77, and it grew worse overnight.
– James Achenbach Posted July 10
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Instructor Jim McLean, while following pupil Alexis Thompson, who
finished 36 holes with a 144 total (71-73): “She is ferociously
competitive. She wants to hit every shot in the hole. Sometimes you
forget she is just 14.”
– James Achenbach Posted July 10
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Speculation has arisen about two potential candidates for LPGA
commissioner, both coming from the non-profit Tournament Golf
Foundation, Inc.
The first is Rob Neal, executive director of
TGF, which operates LPGA tournaments in Portland, Ore., and Phoeniz,
Ariz. TGF, headquartered in Portland, has been associated with the LPGA
since 1972 and has donated nearly $15 million to various children’s
charities.
The second is Tom Maletis, the popular TGF president
and the man widely credited with bringing Safeway aboard as an LPGA
sponsor.
Gail Graham, president of Tournament Owners
Association, on Tom Maletis: “Tom is a wonderful suggestion. I wish I
had a crystal ball in all of this.”
Neal also is vice-chair of
Tournament Owners Association, an organization of LPGA tournament
owners. Neal formerly was LPGA vice-president of tournament business
affairs.
Maletis, along with his brothers, operated a Budweiser
beer distributorship in Portland. The Maletis brothers sold the
business to Anheuser-Busch in 2008.
– James Achenbach Posted July 10
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Do you keep golf stats?
If you do, and you follow the PGA Tour formula for stats, you might end up counting a chip or pitch as a putt.
It
has happened several times here at Saucon Valley Country Club, where a
number of difficult hole locations have required players to use a wedge
from the putting surface.
Playing on large, serpentine greens,
competitors occasionally face a putting line that cuts across the
fringe of the green. Because of heavy grass near the fringe, players
sometimes elect to wedge the ball into the air rather than putt it on
the ground.
The PGA Tour formula, which is followed by the USGA,
counts any wedge shot from the green as a putt. In addition, all
subsequent shots on a hole also are counted as putts. Theoretically, it
would be possible to hit two or more wedge shots and have all of them
classified as putts.
– James Achenbach Posted July 10
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Twenty-one nations are represented at the U.S. Women’s
Open, and none may be more proud that Puerto Rico. According to the
Puerto Rico Golf Association, Janice Olivencia is the first Puerto
Rican to play in the Women’s Open. In fact, she’s the first player from
the country to play in a major since Chi Chi Rodriquez played the
Senior Open in 2001.
Olivencia shot 84 and is tied for 149th.
– Dan Mirocha Posted July 9
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Gotta love the confidence that oozes out of Cristie Kerr’s
quotes. When asked if anything about the course surprised her, she
delivered a classic response: “I’m an Open champion. I kind of know
what to expect.”
Look out.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 9
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Jiyai Shin had me looking like a genius with three consecutive
birdies to start the first round. Shin, my pick at this week’s U.S.
Women’s Open, quickly followed that four bogies over the next six holes.
Korea’s
finest hit only eight greens on Thursday, but still managed to birdie
five holes. At 1 over par, the 2009 money leader is in fine shape.
Can’t say the same for Angela Stanford, the player Golfweek profiled for its Open preview. Stanford hit only six fairways in Round 1 and had to shoot 35 on the back side to salvage 78.
It’s tough to win national championships out of the rough. – Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 9
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Solid round from Brittany Lincicome, who hasn’t done much since
that stunning eagle on the 72nd hole of the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Lincicome’s 1-over 72 at Saucon Valley included only nine pars.
Two
familiar faces from the Kraft on are property this week – Tiffany and
Kristine from Vision54. The pair were credited for giving Lincicome a
much-needed mental boost heading in the year’s first major. They met
for the first time in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and are back this week
with simple methods to help the long-bombing blonde relax.
Lincicome’s best U.S. Women’s Open finish came in 2006 when she finished seventh.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 9
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – The last time I saw Candace Schepperle, she was in tears at the
NCAA Women’s East Regional after failing to qualify or help Auburn
quailfy for the NCAA Championship.
That’s why it was great to
see soon-to-be Tigers senior laughing and smiling after her first round
at the Women’s Open. Schepperle shot 2-over 73 at Saucon Valley and was
tied for 45th, the low amateur in the clubhouse.
“I was
devastated not to go (to the NCAA Championship),” Schepperle said near
the ninth hole scoring trailier at Saucon Valley. “I couldn’t even
watch the nationals (on live scoring). I was just trying to forget it.”
Schepperle, who was the top-ranked player in the Golfweek/Sagarin
College Rankings for a portion of the spring season, has been plenty
busy since school wrapped up. She played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur
Public Links and LPGA’s State Farm Classic. And before today’s first
round, she got in a whopping eight practice rounds at Saucon Valley.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see her around on the weekend.
– Dan Mirocha Posted July 9
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens has decided to sit this one out.
The tour has confirmed that she will not be flying to Pennsylvania this
week for the U.S. Women’s Open. Probably a wise move on her part, since
she hadn’t planned on commenting in the first place. – Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 8
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Good to see Naree Song back in a major. Song hasn’t played in a
U.S. Women’s Open since 2005, suffering these last several years from
chronic fatigue syndrome.
Her twin sister, Aree, is acting as “instructor” this week, helping map out the course during the practice rounds.
Aree
injured her shoulder last week during the Jamie Farr Owens Corning
Classic when she got her club stuck in a pine tree on the downswing.
She withdrew from the Farr as well as the Open.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 8
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Amanda Blumenherst felt a little extra pressure to qualify for
this year’s U.S. Women’s Open. She didn’t want to let “Blumie’s Bunch”
down.
Since October, elementary school kids from nearby Fountain
Hill have corresponded with Blumenherst through an “Adopt-A-Player”
program. Twenty-five professionals agreed to participate, including
Paula Creamer, Juli Inkster and Christina Kim.
As the reigning
U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion, Blumenherst had an automatic exemption
into this year’s Open. Because she turned professional after
graduation, however, she had to return to sectional qualifying.
“It was so much pressure,” said Blumenherst, bedecked in Nike Swoosh.
Sadly, not every player in the program made it to Bethlehem.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 8
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – The USGA announced that beginning next year, only one stage of
qualifying will be held for the U.S. Women’s Open – a 36-hole sectional
qualifier. Of the 156 participants in this week’s field, 31 advanced
through both local and sectional qualifying.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted July 8
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – The U.S. Women’s Open not only have the Carolyn Bivens cast over
it, but there’s also discussion about qualifications to get into the
field. Specifically, Michelle Wie, No. 12 on the LPGA money list, isn’t
in the 156-woman field.
Question is, if No. 12 Wie isn’t in the field, then who is?
Part of the answer: almost 30 amateurs.
The
U.S. Golf Association needs to revise its eligibility to ensure that
the best and hottest players get in it’s biggest distaff event. A rule
change trimmed money winners from the top 35 to the top 10 through June
1.
The top isn’t enough. Change it to 35 or whatever.
June 1 isn’t late enough. Change it to the week before the Open.
A
similar problem happened last year with the men. Kenny Perry won the
Memorial two weeks before the U.S. Open and moved high up into the
world ranking, but that didn’t get him into the Open because the feat
happened too late.
– Jeff Rude
Posted July 8
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – To qualify for any USGA championship is a badge of
honor. I should know. I qualified for one of them, the U.S. Junior, and
haven’t stopped talking about it for 40 years.
Qualifying for most of these championships is exceedingly difficult, the best example being the U.S. Senior Open.
When the USGA announced Wednesday it would eliminate local qualifying
for the U.S. Women’s Open and rely strictly on a 36-hole sectional
qualifying round, there probably was a collective shrug of the
shoulders from senior golfers around the country. So what?
Senior men face one 18-hole qualifying round for the Senior Open. Many
players have broken 70 yet failed to qualify. It seems unfair. These
players deserve a 36-hole qualifer, but they don’t have it and are
unlikely to get it.
So, in this respect, the U.S. Women’s Open is granted favoritism over the U.S. Senior Open.
The entry numbers don’t justify the advantage shown to women. In 2009,
the Women’s Open drew 1,278 entrants, while the Senior Open attracted
2,794.
It could be viewed as age discrimination, with younger women getting preferential treatment over senior men.
Need an example of age bias against senior women? There is no Women’s
Senior Open, and the USGA admits it is not considering one.
– James Achenbach
Posted July 8
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Count Laura Diaz among
the players who didn’t find out about the infamous dinner at Jamie Farr
or the letter to the LPGA Board of Directors until Golfweek broke the news Monday.
When
asked if she would have signed the letter asking for LPGA commissioner
Carolyn Bivens’ resignation, Diaz wouldn’t answer directly.
“I don’t know,” she said. “We’re in a tough time. I think we’re all just frustrated, that goes for the staff and the players.”
Diaz
said losing tournaments has been a sore spot and topic of conversation
for a lot of players, especially for those who have children.
“For
the moms out here, we just planned on playing as long as we could to
support our families,” said Diaz, whose son, Cooper, is 3 1/2 years
old. “I’m hopeful that things will turn around. This is what I love to
do. I have to hope that at some point the economy will turn around for
the country, for the world and for the tour.”
– Dan Mirocha Posted July 8
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – In an unexpected move, the U.S. Golf Association announced
Wednesday that qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open will revert to one
stage, rather than the current two stages, starting in 2010.
Two-stage
qualifying for the Women’s Open was first used in 2002. The only other
USGA championship with two qualifying stages is the U.S. Open, and it
will retain its two-stage format.
In 2009, the U.S. Open attracted 9,086 entries, while the U.S. Women’s Open drew 1,278 entries.
Mike
Davis, senior director of rules and competitions, said one 36-hole
qualifying stage was enough to ensure that the best players advance to
the championship. The U.S. Women’s Open normally includes 80 to 90
qualifiers.
Davis pointed out that changes in Women’s Open
exemptions, such as exempting the top 50 money winners from the
previous year on the LPGA, have helped guarantee a strong field for the
championship.
Regardless, players such as Natalie Gulbis, Wendy
Ward and Michelle Wie failed to earn exemptions or qualify for the
Women’s Open this year. Meanwhile, a 36-hole score of 159 was good
enough to advance through a sectional qualifier at Bryan, Texas, and
158 made it at Newhanic Station, N.J.
“Is the system perfect?” Davis asked. “No, but it’s getting better all the time.”
– James Achenbach Posted July 8
Martin
Laird, the 26-year-old Scot who is in his sophomore season on the PGA
Tour, will make his European Tour debut this week at the Barclays
Scottish Open. Strange as it may sound, this will be his first
tournament as a pro in his homeland. Laird will put peg in dirt a mere
half hour from where he grew up learning the game from the time he
could walk.
Pretty cool stuff, but it’s only a prelude to
Laird's first appearance in the British Open. He attended his first
professional tournament as a 12-year-old with his dad at the 1994
British Open, the last time it was held at Turnberry.
From the grandstand to the first tee in 15 years: who says dreams don’t come true? – Adam Schupak Posted July 8
Danny
Lee originally was scheduled to play this week’s Scottish Open but
changed his plans when his top-10 at the AT&T National got him into
the John Deere Classic.
Lee, winner of the U.S. Amateur and
Johnnie Walker Classic, turned pro to much fanfare after this year’s
Masters. He seems to be learning more about how to handle the
professional realm with each start.
“The harder you try, the
ball doesn’t go in,” Lee said. “I didn’t get it the first time. Every
event, if I hit a bad shot, I got really mad at it. I pushed myself
really hard. It didn't really work out. Last week, I was just so
relaxed and I chilled out. Golf is all about ... having fun. I just
learned that last week.”
In eight PGA Tour starts this year, Lee
has missed four cuts and has one other top-25 (T-13 at Byron Nelson).
He was in contention at Quail Hollow and the Nelson before big numbers
knocked him off the leaderboard.
– Sean Martin Posted July 8
At
no time in the past year or so did Jonathan Byrd try and run from the
cold and harsh anguish that had been dealt his family. Every chance to
be with his father, Jim, was cherished, but it was accompanied by an
understanding, too.
“I know what he’s going through,” Jonathan Byrd said back at the Verizon Heritage in April. “It’s a sobering reminder of death.”
Yesterday,
the reminder transformed into reality when the Dunbar Funerals and
Cremations Web site in Columbia, S.C., reported that Jim Byrd had died
at the age of 65. He had been diagnosed with brain cancer after
collapsing at a Clemson football game in November 2007.
An
eight-year PGA Tour member, Jonathan Byrd has won three times,
including the 2007 John Deere Classic, a tournament from which he has
withdrawn this week. He has not played since the Memorial Tournament in
early June.
At Hilton Head Island in their beloved South
Carolina, Jim Byrd was trying to salvage as much strength in April to
watch his son compete at Harbour Town Golf Links. A local house had
been rented for plenty of family and friends, home-cooked dinners were
the day’s highlight, and the mere presence of his father tossed a
blanket of perspective that wasn’t lost on Jonathan, 31.
His dad
had introduced him to the game and was a daily inspiration for him and
brother Jordan, the assistant golf coach at Clemson.
“When
somebody is dying of an illness like that, it kind of brings it all
back home,” he said. “There’s a lot of other things more important than
this tournament, the money list, or world rankings.”
Amen.
– Jim McCabe Posted July 7
MILWAUKEE
– Vandals who sneaked on to Brown Deer Golf Course in Milwaukee after
dark June 23 have left the maintenance staff scrambling to repair
significant damage to the 17th green in time for the U.S. Bank
Championship at the end of next week. The vandals drove a vehicle in
repeated “doughnuts” around the green, carving ruts as deep as seven
inches.
Brian Zimmerman, operations manager for Milwaukee County
Parks, has enlisted the help of a small army to repair the green. So
far course maintenence workers have double-topdressed,
double-overseeded and double-aerified the green, which is a mix of
Penncross and Poa annua. An estimated 60 percent of the putting surface was damaged, but Zimmerman said some “cuppable” areas remain.
The
green must be ready for play by July 13, when practice rounds for the
tournament begin, and Zimmerman said everything agronimically possible
will be done to repair the green by that time. Luckily for Brown Deer,
the repair job fell to one of the best, as Zimmerman was a 2007
finalist for TurfNet’s Superintendent of the Year award.
Police
were informed of the damage after a grounds staff employee discovered
the ruts early June 24. An investigation into the vandalism is ongoing,
and no arrests have been made.
– John Reitman Posted July 7
CBS
funnyman David Feherty likened Tiger Woods’ winning his own tournament
– in effect, the handing of the trophy to himself – to an announcer
throwing the next call to himself.
“It’s like (Gary) McCord saying, ‘Let’s go to 13,’ and then realizing, ‘Oh, hell, that’s my hole.’ ”
Feherty
suggested that as a gracious host Woods should do the right thing
pre-tournament next year and “put the runner-up (Hunter Mahan) on the
poster. ‘I don’t want to brag, so let’s put (Mahan) on there,’ ”
Feherty said.
– Jeff Rude Posted July 7
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Angela Stanford tip-toed around the issue of Carolyn Bivens’ resignation Tuesday at the U.S. Women’s Open.
She
said she knew about the letter the players sent to the LPGA, but wasn’t
invited to sign it. So, would she have penned her name on the dotted
line had she been given the chance?
“I can’t answer that,” she said.
“I
want what’s best for this tour, but who am I to say what’s best?” she
continued. “I think the players did a good job of expressing how they
felt. I have complete faith the board will do the right thing.”
– Dan Mirocha Posted July 7
BETHLEHEM,
Pa. – Most entertaining sight so far Tuesday at the U.S. Women’s Open
. . . Arizona State coach Melissa Luellen wearing a USGA caddie bib and
an ear-to-ear smile while lugging recent Sun Devils grad Azahara Munoz’s
large staff bag to the first tee.
“I survived the practice round yesterday,” Luellen said. “Hopefully I’ll make it out there today, too.”
Luellen
joked that Munoz had dropped a brick in the bottom of her bag to ensure
her coach got the best workout possible while making the trek around
Saucon Valley.
The ASU skipper had better get used to it. Something tells me that she and Munoz will be here ’til Sunday.
– Dan Mirocha Posted July 7
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Pays to be a junior at the U.S. Women’s Open. Well, at least in the eyes of the local media.
The Allentown (Pa.) Morning Call
featured Katherine Perry on the front page of the newspaper Tuesday
morning. Perry, 17, is pictured sitting behind the wheel of her Lexus
LX 560 courtesy car. Flip over to the sports section and Alexis
Thompson is featured in the lead photo, and on Page 3, there’s a nice
picture of Yueer Cindy Feng.
In total, there are 26 teenagers in the field. Feng, 13, is the youngest.
Would be great to see a few of them play on the weekend.
– Dan Mirocha Posted July 7
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In the wake of Golfweek’s
report that LPGA players are asking for commissioner Carolyn Bivens’
resignation, Cristie Kerr led her Tuesday afternoon press conference
with a prepared statement.
“I realize many of you have questions
and concerns and issues involving the LPGA,” Kerr said. “Out of respect
for the USGA . . . I cannot comment on matters pertaining to the LPGA
operations as I do not have official capacity to do that.
“Our
player organization is very focused on how these difficult economic
times affect our tour and we are actively working with the executive
board of management to create the best product for our partners and
fans.”
– Dan Mirocha Posted July 7
Tiger
Woods is giving new meaning to Gene Sarazen’s famous words after he won
the 1922 U.S. Open: “All men are created equal. I’m just one stroke
better than the rest.”
Since Tiger’s eight-shot romp at the
2008 Buick Invitational, all six of his stroke-play victories have been
of the one-shot variety.
2008 DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC: won by 1 over Martin Kaymer WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY: won, 8 and 7, over Stewart Cink ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL: won by 1 over Bart Bryant U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: won by 1 in playoff over Rocco Mediate
2009 ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL: won by 1 over Sean O’Hair MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT: won by 1 over Jim Furyk AT&T NATIONAL: won by 1 over Hunter Mahan
Does
it make his victories any less impressive? I don’t think so. Does it
make him any less dominant than he used to be? You could make that
argument. But as another old saying goes, “A win is a win.” – Adam Schupak Posted July 6
BETHESDA,
Md. – Yes, Tiger Woods, even before he won his own AT&T National
tournament today, was the favorite for the British Open in less than
two weeks. And yes, Jim Furyk, a top-10 machine again these days, also
figures to be in the mix.
But if you’re looking for a longer shot with considerable momentum, consider Hunter Mahan.
After
shooting a closing 8-under-par 62 at the AT&T and finishing a shot
behind Woods, Mahan said confidently, “I feel I can win every
tournament I play in. I can’t wait for the British Open to start.”
With
good reason. He entered the AT&T having tied for sixth at the U.S.
Open and for fourth at the Travelers Championship the previous two
weeks.
– Jeff Rude Posted July 5
Television commentators are driving me crazy with their references to V grooves.
Every
time they talk about the new groove regulations that will go into
effect on the PGA Tour in 2010, these broadcasters call them V grooves.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Yes,
the groove area will be reduced by almost 50 percent, but, no, V
grooves are not required. Ping, for example, already has announced it
will use smaller U grooves in its irons and wedges.
Other
companies, namely Callaway and TaylorMade, are developing grooves that,
strictly speaking, are neither V grooves nor U grooves.
We need to invent a new term for the new grooves. How about “short grooves” or “2010 grooves” or something similar?
I would love to hear any suggestions.
– James Achenbach Posted July 5
Am
I the only person in America who thinks the use of American flags on
the flagsticks at Congressional Country Club was beneath the dignity
historically accorded to the Stars and Stripes?
The magnitude of
the American flag goes far, far beyond golf. If you ask me, this
display trivialized the significance of our flag.
Tiger’s
tournament performed a marvelous job of honoring our troops and our
country. It didn’t need American flags waving on top of 18 flagsticks.
What’s next? Waving an American flag at the finish line at Daytona International Speedway?
– James Achenbach Posted July 5
Tiger
Woods has won 31 tournaments out of 37 when he has held the 36-hole
lead. This week at the AT&T National, Woods again led after 36
holes and is looking to make it No. 32.
The law of averages are
with him. Woods’ competition has not played all that well against him.
He shares the lead with last year’s champion Anthony Kim at 10 under.
Kim has never finished ahead of Woods in a tournament. In 17 common
starts, Woods is 16-0-1 vs. Kim, with the tie coming at the
WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship when they both went out in the
same round.
How have the other players near the lead done against Woods during their career?
• Michael Allen: Woods leads 33-1-1 • Cameron Beckman: Woods leads 58-3-1 • Rod Pampling: Woods leads 45-4-2 • Lucas Glover: Woods leads 78-8-1
If
you are looking for someone with the best chance, you probably have to
go with Jim Furyk. Woods leads Furyk by a career count of 128-44-8, but
in 2009 Woods is just 4-3 vs. Furyk.
- Lance Ringler Posted July 4
BETHESDA,
Md. – Michael Allen, a senior in a young man’s league, just finished
off a 65 at Congressional in the third round of the AT&T National.
That gave him the clubhouse lead at the time and put him in a four-way
tie for first at the moment, with heavyweight co-leaders Tiger Woods
and Anthony Kim still on the course.
The questions with Allen are simple and read like something taught in an introductory journalism class: Who? What? Why? How?
Allen
is 50 and has played 336 PGA Tour events without a victory. But he won
the Senior PGA Championship this year at Canterbury and he is playing
the best golf of his life.
As for why this is happening, here are the reasons:
He says he enjoys playing golf more than he ever has.
His technique is better than ever, thanks in large part to instructor Mike Mitchell.
His fitness is better. Until recent years, he didn’t do much more than 12-ounce curls.
His confidence is high, thanks to the senior win.
He loves his equipment, particularly his driver.
And he loves life. When he won at Canterbury, he bought champagne for many people.
He
said he didn’t want to think about winning Saturday afternoon, but he
did make some friends when he said a victory here would mean “champagne
for everybody.”
– Jeff Rude Posted July 4
BETHESDA,
Md. – Quick now, what do Tiger Woods and Danny Edwards have in common?
No, it’s not that both are public activists for PGA Tour change.
Rather,
Woods’ 10-under-par 130, good for a one-shot midway lead at the
AT&T National, marks just the second time a double-digit score
under par through 36 holes has been shot in a tournament at
Congressional Country Club. Yes, Edwards was the first; he was 10 under
(then 67-67) in the 1981 Kemper Open and eventually tied for sixth
after a 73-72 weekend.
Don’t expect similar scores from Woods
this weekend. One, he has gone on to win 31 of the 37 times he has led
or co-led after 36 holes on the PGA Tour. Two, Woods said Friday he’s
probably hasn’t been in better physical shape in more than 10 years.
This
time, Woods is at 64-66 – one shot ahead of Rod Pampling and two up on
Anthony Kim – after hitting 20 of 28 fairways and 28 of 36 greens. He
missed just two fairways and three greens in Round 1.
“Today
I hit the ball a little bit scratchy at times, but I putted better,” he
said after the second round Friday. “I need to hit the ball better (on
the weekend) than I did today.”
– Jeff Rude Posted July 3
BETHESDA, Md. – No U.S. Open hangover for Lucas Glover.
Last
week, the week after winning the Open at Bethpage Black, Glover shot
three 65s at the Travelers Championship and tied for 11th. And now he’s
tied for eighth midway through the AT&T National after shooting
69-65 while paired with host and leader Tiger Woods.
Glover
moved into contention with back-nine 30 (his front) that four
consecutive birdies at Nos. 15-18. He sandwiched a couple of 15-footers
around a pair of tap-ins.
And as for playing with Woods,
Glover had this to say, “He’s so focused on his game, but he likes to
cut up and tell stories and jokes and whatnot.”
– Jeff Rude Posted July 3
I am waiting for Stewart Cink to call.
Over the years, I have waited many times for PGA Tour players to call. Some do, some don’t.
The phone rings. Hello. It’s Cink, telling me he can’t talk right now but he’ll call back in an hour. Goodbye.
An
hour later, he calls back. I always considered Cink a real gentleman.
Furthermore, I will toss his name into the hat as the best player never
to win a major.
I ask Cink about grooves. As a member of the PGA
Tour Policy Board, he had a vote on whether to require lower-spinning
grooves for 2010 or delay the implementation until 2011.
He
doesn’t waste any time. He explains why the Policy Board decided to
leave the decision in the hands of commissioner Tim Finchem.
“There
definitely were some vigorous discussions on both sides of the issue,”
he says. “The Tour staff had a lot to say. Members of the board of
directors had a lot to say. Everybody seemed very passionate about it.
“At
the end of the day, there weren’t enough votes to delay it. There
wasn’t enough evidence for us to do that. There was no concrete reason
to push it back a year. There needed to be a strong reason, and there
wasn’t. We needed something big for it to be delayed, and there wasn’t
anything big enough.” – James Achenbach Posted July 3
Let’s
clear up one matter: Over and over, the U.S. Golf Association has said
the PGA Tour could implement new groove regulations whenever it felt
comfortable with the change.
There was no pressure from the
USGA. The ruling body did not lobby for a 2010 or 2011 date. However,
the USGA did express its desire that professional tours worldwide
switch at the same time. Following the PGA Tour’s decision, other tours
are expected to fall in line.
The new regulations mandate
smaller grooves and more rounded groove edges for all clubs with at
least 25 degrees of loft. So they affect many square-grooved irons as
well as wedges.
For now, the regulations will be treated as a
Condition of Competition. On the amateur level, this means individual
tournaments will decide whether or not to require new grooves. Most
local and club tournaments are expected to allow the old grooves to be
used.
In 2024 – 15 years down the road – the USGA probably will
elevate the new groove regulations from a Condition of Competition to
an official rule. – James Achenbach Posted July 2
Only four of the top 12 players in the world are playing the Tiger Woods-hosted AT&T National tournament this week.
Considering
that low turnout and the fact PGA Tour prize money rose from $65.95
million in 1996 (the year Woods turned pro) to $279.45 million last
year, here are a few questions:
Shouldn’t players, elite and
otherwise, be lined up to play Woods’ tournament as thanks for making
them millionaires and multi-millionaires?
Where’s the gratitude?
Where’s the appreciation?
What’s with the absent memories?
Appalling stuff.
I’m thinking if you line my pockets with millions, I’ll come play in your tournament at Congressional.
– Jeff Rude Posted July 1
I
have a love/hate relationship with Twitter. It is, at times, highly
entertaining, occasionally informative, and always changing. I check in
every couple days to make sure I’m not completely out of the loop.
Couple of nuggets from today:
•
Not sure why this interests me, but nearly 1,000 port-o-lets arrived at
Saucon Valley today for the U.S. Women’s Open. I'll try not to visit
them all.
• Became a fan of the Ricoh Women’s British Open on
Facebook because of a Tweet tease: Sign up for a chance to win a Ricoh
R10 digital camera.
Starting July 3, fans will be able to
participate in a creative caption photo contest. As of now, the British
Open Facebook page has 125 fans (two signed up while I was writing this
blog) so camera odds aren’t bad.
• Chuckled looking at a picture Meaghan Francella posted of Morgan Pressel riding her grandfather’s scooter.
Nothing earth-shattering, but then again it rarely is ... – Beth Ann Baldry Posted June 30
Welcome to the latest episode of “The Return of The Can’t Miss Kids.”
First it was Bryce Molder, the four-time All-American at Georgia Tech, who finished T-2 at the St. Jude Classic.
Then a week later 2002 U.S. Amateur champ Ricky Barnes lit it up at the U.S. Open before coming back to earth and finishing T-2.
And
this past weekend we watched 2003 U.S. Amateur runner-up Casey
Wittenberg make his first top 10 of the season at the Travelers
Championship. He finished T-7, breaking a string of seven missed cuts.
I
spoke with Wittenberg at Memphis, a day after he qualified for the U.S.
Open and he was in good spirits. He acknowledged that it has been a
challenge as a Tour rookie who graduated from the Nationwide Tour to
get in many tournaments early in the season.
“You see people making a lot of money and you’re falling behind and it’s frustrating,” he said.
Most
of his explanation for his struggles to date was generic: the
competition is stiffer, you can’t par your way around a course, blah,
blah, blah.
But it sounded genuine when he said he’s not in a
rush (a big change coming from a guy who turned pro after one year in
college because he couldn't wait to get on Tour), and that he was
enjoying the learning process. It’s hard to forget that he’s just 24
years old. There are only six players – Jason Day, Derek Fathauer,
Anthony Kim, Colt Knost, Webb Simpson, and Brendon Todd – younger than
Wittenberg with a Tour card.
A string of missed cuts can pack
an emotional punch but Wittenberg remained optimistic. Especially this
thought that proved prophetic: “You’re never as far off as you think
you are,” he said. – Adam Schupak Posted June 29
Jiyai
Shin gets paid $1 million to wear the Mirae Asset logo on her hat and
shirt. Problem is, the logo isn’t stitched on her rain jacket. Even
when rain came pelting down during the final round of the Wegmans LPGA,
Shin made sure the Korean financial company got its money’s worth.
“Yes, I need a rain jacket, but my rain jacket doesn’t have my sponsor,” Shin said. “So I have to open and close rain jacket.”
Needless to say, they watch closely in Korea.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted June 29
Youth wasn’t served at the Travelers Championship. But it was eaten.
Welcome
to Fossil Week on the PGA Tour. The average age of the top three
finishers was over 45. Winner Kenny Perry is almost 49, and then there
are the co-runnersup, Paul (Sunshine) Goydos at 45 and David Toms at 42.
Thing is, none of that was a fluke. All three are in the midst of good runs.
Perry
has won twice this year, and 11 of his 14 Tour victories have come
since he turned 40. If he bags a major, keeps it up and ignores his
age, he could play his way into the Hall of Fame. Only three players
have won more titles in their 40s: Vijay Singh with 22, Sam Snead with
17 and Willie Mcfarlane with 15.
Perry and Toms are tied with
Tiger Woods for most top-10 finishes (seven) on Tour this year. And
Goydos has three top-4 finishes in his last four events.
Just
goes to show that the club and the ball do not know the player’s age,
particularly when fairways-and-greens ball-striking is rewarded over
bomber ball.
– Jeff Rude Posted June 29
CROMWELL,
Conn. – Paul Azinger’s first tournament since March didn’t last long.
One round and 68 strokes, to be exact. But with his signature still
fairly fresh on his scorecard, Azinger was disqualified, cited for
using a non-conforming ball.
“He was the one to ask,” said Mark
Russell, the PGA Tour’s vice-president of rules, competition, and
administration. “So we pulled up the (conforming) list and discovered
it isn’t on it.”
The ball in question was the Callaway Tour i
with one dot, several of which were in Azinger’s bag. Back in March
when he last played, the ball was on the conforming list, but it was
removed just a few weeks ago. Had Azinger played the Tour i with two
dots, he would have been OK.
It’s not the first time something
like this has happened. In fact, one of the most infamous cases
involved Greg Norman right here at TPC River Highlands. Similarly,
Norman was DQ’d for using a non-conforming ball.
Azinger wasn’t the only one to leave after just one round. Dustin Johnson also shot 68, but withdrew with a wrist injury.
– Jim McCabe Posted June 25
Coming
off of a disappointing U.S. Open, it appears that Ernie Els has changed
his mind about the upcoming AT&T National at a course that holds a
special place in his heart: Congressional CC.
Having
previously indicated he would play in the tournament, Els announced on
his website that “the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond (July 9-12)
is my next tournament , followed straight after that by the Open
Championship at Turnberry.”
Added Els: “That’s a doubleheader that I’m really looking forward to.”
But
apparently, he's not looking forward to a triple-header, even though
the AT&T National (July 2-5) is hosted by Tiger Woods at a course
where Els in 1997 won his second U.S. Open.
– Jim McCabe Posted June 25
Don’t
be surprised if someone shoots 59 this week at the Travelers
Championship. In fact, there are two “59 watches” underway as we write.
Kenny Perry is 8 under par through 13 holes at the par-70 TPC River Highlands.
And Boo Weekley, bothered by a torn labrum in his shoulder this year, birdied his first six holes.
Last week was for marathoners. This week is for sprinters.
– Jeff Rude Posted June 25
CROMWELL,
Conn. – There are smiles at every turn of the head here at TPC River
Highlands. That’s because we’re not at Bethpage Black, slipping in mud,
hitting in rain. No, sir. We’re back at a good, old-fashioned birdie
festival.
How optimum are the scoring conditions? Consider Boo
Weekley. In just five holes he has made three more birdies than he made
in 36 holes at last week’s U.S. Open. Given that he made two birdies at
the U.S. Open before missing the cut, it means he had made five already
here at the Travelers Championship.
That’s right, five
consecutive birdies out of the gates for Weekley, but he better not
stay content. After all, in the morning wave alone, Paul Goydos and
Charles Warren fired 63s, three others shot 64, and 20 players went for
66 or better.
So conducive to scoring was it that Kevin Stadler
brushed off his morning round as if he had shot himself out of the
tournament. “I shot 3-under. Not very good.”
The field average
thus far is 68.395, but wait a minute, it’s going to go down, most
likely. Weekley has just knocked in an 18-foot putt at the sixth to go
to 6-under.
Forget 59, he’s on pace to shoot 52.
– Jim McCabe Posted June 25
CROMWELL, Conn. – J.J. Henry sure knows how to give the home folks something more than a donut with their morning coffee.
How
about a hole-out from 114 yards on the first hole to make eagle and get
into the early lead of the Travelers Championship? The pride of
Fairfield, Conn., treats this hometown tournament as a major and was
seen on the putting green well after the final putt was holed in
Wednesday’s pro-am.
His only tour victory came here in 2006, but
the game has been a bit of a struggle since. If he’s hoping to improve
upon his 65th standing on the money list, he’ll need more than that
eagle, however. With the rain gone and humid air hanging around, TPC
River Highlands is soft and looking like one big green dartboard.
It wouldn’t be a shock if the course-record 61 is in jeopardy.
– Jim McCabe Posted June 25
CROMWELL,
Conn. – Even in these rough stretches when his play is ragged and Brad
Faxon struggles to keep positive thoughts going, he’s thrilled to be
part of the PGA Tour.
Wednesday, he got another reminder why.
The day after his annual 36-day charity event wrapped up in cold,
rainy, miserable weather, Faxon learned that one of his colleagues, Boo
Weekley, had chosen to give back half his prize money.
“Pretty amazing. One of the best things that’s ever happened to us in that tournament,” Faxon said.
Weekley, one of 20 players in the team event, earned $42,500, but told tournament officials they can keep $21,250.
The
CVS Charity Classic hosted by Faxon and Andrade supports dozens of
charitable organizations in the Rhode Island area, where those PGA Tour
members were born and raised.
– Jim McCabe Posted June 24
CROMWELL,
Conn. – Hey, the man just won a U.S. Open in ankle-high mud. What’s the
big deal about hitting a 3-wood with a bunch of shaving cream on your
face?
“It was the funniest thing, watching him scoop two holes
out of the shaving cream so he could see,” said the perpetrator,
Johnson Wagner.
Wagner’s caddie and co-conspirator, Steve Hale,
laughed, but then shook his head and added: “The best thing is, he had
shaving cream on his face, but still piped a 3-wood down the middle.”
“He,”
of course, is your national champion, the widely popular Lucas Glover.
He has been on a whirlwind of sorts, paraded into New York for a series
of TV appearances, radio shows, and photo ops, so when he walked onto
TPC River Highlands property Wednesday morning, Glover was back in the
PGA Tour brotherhood.
Wagner figured what better way to greet
his friend and major champion than a whipped-cream pie. “But we
couldn’t find whipped cream,” Wagner said. “Shaving cream was the
closest thing.”
So, as Glover stepped to the first tee for his
afternoon pro-am, the annoucer barely got to “U.S. Open champion Lucas
. . . “ when Wagner popped out from behind the tee and landed the
shaving-cream pie dead center.
And just how did Glover handle it? With the great composure of a major champion.
“I
loved it. It was hilarious,” Glover said, walking up the 18th hole,
some five hours later. “How good was that? I’m still inhaling it.”
– Jim McCabe Posted June 24
Nationwide
Tour players and caddies will show their support for Chris Smith and
Skip Kendall this week at the Nationwide Tour Players Cup by wearing
black ribbons.
Smith’s wife, Beth, was killed in a weekend
auto accident that critically injured their two children. Kendall’s
mother, Shirley, also lost her life in a car accident a week earlier.
– Sean Martin Posted June 24
Raise your hand if you’ve heard of the following players: Tania Elosegui, Martina Eberl, Melissa Reid.
Didn’t think so.
If
the European Solheim Cup team was named this week, they’d be on it.
I’ve actually seen Reid play several times, and she was a talented
amateur. She’s currently sixth on the LET point standings, one spot out
of automatic qualification. Annika Sorenstam, however, is the one
sitting in front of her and she’ll be eight months pregnant by that
time. If Reid holds her spot, she’s in.
Names like those won’t strike fear in the hearts of American players since, like you, they probably haven’t a clue.
We’ve still got a ways to go before August, but the Americans are playing well. Rich Harvest Farms could be a romp.
– Beth Ann Baldry Posted June 24
CROMWELL,
Conn. – Bob Heintz was finishing nine holes while playing with four
kids in the Junior Pro-Am at the Travelers Championship. Off to the
side working on his flop shot was Ricky Barnes, just a little more than
24 hours removed from his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open.
Down
on the driving range, Paul Azinger was hitting balls with a new set of
Mizuno irons. He didn’t want anyone around, saying he was going to work
in his office – “No one can come into my office.”
Further down the range, Corey Pavin had just finished hitting balls after playing nine holes.
It just seems odd, that at 6:00 p.m., two Ryder Cup captains and one U.S. Open runner-up were all working on their game.
And it’s only Tuesday.
– Alex Miceli Posted June 23
CROMWELL, Conn. – According to a report in Newsday, the
USGA made an extra $5-10 million on the extra day of play on Monday at
the U.S. Open with just an added expense of $500,000. They forgot to
add the $2 million they would have had to payout if they didn’t play on
Monday for the Thursday ticket holders.
– Alex Miceli Posted June 23
I’m thinking about where David Brooker might go next and Suzann
Pettersen seems a likely choice. She had a PGA Tour caddie on the bag
at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, but he was there on a trial basis.
Brooker and Yani Tseng would make a fantastic team, but Tseng
isn’t interested in giving up good friend Sherry Lin, who is more
friend than polished looper.
Before winning 21 times with Ochoa,
Brooker worked 3 1/2 years for Grace Park, before injuries knocked her
off the map. He also spent one year with Mi Hyun Kim, helped Charlotta
Sorenstam win her lone title at the 2000 Standard Register Ping
(beating her sister and Karrie Webb), and finished eighth on the money
list with Carin Koch in 2002, no small feat.
Bottom line,
Brooker was a big part of Ochoa’s success. Having a substitute caddie
at the next several events isn’t ideal for the World No. 1, but she
needed him for the long haul (even if that’s just 3-5 more years).
Ochoa has, at times, been out of sorts this year. From where I sit, this seems like a reckless move.
They were a good team. – Beth Ann Baldry Posted June 23
Heading into the U.S. Open, if I were to tell you that the No. 23 player in the Golfweek/Sagarin
Performance Index was going to be the champion, would you have thought
it was possible that the 23rd-best player in the last 52 weeks (which
is the time frame used to compute the Performance Index) could win at
Bethpage?
If you don’t think that would be a stretch, then Lucas Glover should have been considered a likely winner.
With the victory Glover improved three spots to No. 20 this week. In
the Official World Ranking, Glover improved from No. 71 to No. 18.
– Lance Ringler Posted June 23
2009 Tour Blog archive: Click herefor the U.S. Open Blog Click herefor the run-up to the U.S. Open Click herefor the Masters Blog. Click herefor the Hawaii, West Coast and Florida Swings.
2008 Tour Blog archive: Click herefor blogs from the ends to the PGA Tour and LPGA seasons. Click herefor the Ryder Cup blog. Click herefor the runup to the FedEx Cup and Barclays, Deutche Bank and BMW. Click here for the PGA Championship blog. Click herefor theWomen’s British Open and run-up to the PGA. Click herefor the British Open. Click here for for the AT&T National and Women’s Open. Click herefor the U.S. Open. Click herefor the run-up to the U.S. Open. Click here for the Masters. Click here for the Kraft Nabisco and the run-up to Augusta. Click here for the Florida Swing. Click here for the West Coast Swing and LPGA’s Hawaiian kickoff. Click here for the kick off of the season in Hawaii. 2007 Tour Blog archive: Click here for blogs from the ends to the PGA Tour and LPGA seasons. Click here for the post-Fed Ex Cup and Presidents Cup. Click here for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Click here for the Solheim Cup. Click here for the PGA Championship. Click herefor the British Open and Women’s British Open. Click herefor the AT&T National, Women’s Open and Senior Open. Click here for the U.S. Open. Click here for the Players Championship and the run-up to the U.S. Open. Click here for the Masters. Click here for the Kraft Nabisco and the run-up to Augusta. Click here for the Florida Swing. Click here for the second half of the West Coast Swing. Click here for the first half of the West Coast Swing. Click here for the kick off of the season in Hawaii.
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