2010 sports year in review

Gifts for golfers that sometimes money can't buy

If the story of “A Christmas Carol” teaches us anything, it’s that the holidays are a good time to do a little self-examination and maybe change a few things we’d really like to change about ourselves

That’s probably as true in golf as it is in any other aspect of life. I’m certainly not suggesting that three ghosts need to visit Tiger Woods this week to help him straighten out his life, but than again, I can’t imagine that would hurt, either.

So, in a world where some of golf’s biggest names and tournament need something other than a sweater and a dozen balls for Christmas, here are a few intangibles I’d like to put under a few people’s trees this weekend.

Tiger Woods: A normal life. I mean, as normal as a life as he can possible have. Something a little more normal than the last 10 years, or the last 12 months, for that matter.

Phil Mickelson: Health. Health for him, health for his wife, health for his mother. everything else Mickelson wants or needs should come if he and his wife are healthy.

Mike Whan: The commissioner of the LPGA needs, well, just about all the good fortune he can get. Or maybe just a major championship win from Michelle Wie.

Michelle Wie: A major championship win.

The Kraft Nabisco Championship: A win by Michelle Wie. And some smart, aggressive company to come in and take over from Kraft, which never really seemed to embrace the idea of sponsoring a women’s golf tournament.

The Bob Hope Classic: Speaking of sponsorship, the Hope needs a five-year deal with some company that recognizes the hospitality potential of the event and its pro-am. Also, a little looser grip on his history and tradition, something that might help insure the future of PGA Tour golf in the desert.

Rickie Fowler: His first tour win, finally. And a slightly less electric shade of orange to wear on Sundays.

Dustin Johnson: A personal rules officials to help him recognize a bunker when he’s in one. And a personal on-course marshal to help him get all those people out of the bunker only he is supposed to be in.

Lorena Ochoa: A little time to herself. And then a return to the LPGA.

Jiyai Shin: Some recognition in this country that she is smart, personable and happens to be the No. 1 ranking player in women’s golf.

Anthony Kim: The La Quinta High School graduate needs a healthy thumb, a little earlier curfew and a major championship win.

Nicole Castrale: The former Palm Desert High School star is coming off a fourth shoulder surgery. A fast start to secure he exemption on the LPGA would be a perfect gift.

-Larry Bohannan

Where oh where has Trevor Immelman gone?

Trevor Immelman has no interest in looking at the world rankings these days.

It's not that he doesn't have time to scroll through the pages until he finds his name at No. 269. Immelman has lost the better part of two years with a left wrist injury, and these are the consequences. He accepts that.

He just has trouble recognizing that guy so far down the list.

Of all the major champions from the last five seasons, all but Immelman remain in the top 60 in the world.

"Really, in the last 18 months, that hasn't been me playing," he said. "I don't mean that in an arrogant sense. I know what I'm capable of when I'm feeling good and feeling strong. I'm going to give myself a full season, and then see how that pans out."

For the first time in two years, Immelman wakes up without feeling a pounding sensation in his left wrist. He has been working diligently on the practice range at Lake Nona for a new season. It feels like a new beginning, complete with an equipment deal soon to be announced.

"I'm excited," he said. "Everything is right on track. I'm looking forward to a full season again. It's been a few years."

The last time Immelman felt this good about his health was in 2008, and it featured a masterful performance.

The 30-year-old South African was so dominant at Augusta National that he built a six-shot lead on the back nine and went on to win the Masters by three shots over Tiger Woods. One of the lasting images was Immelman striking a muscleman pose on the 18th green.

Such strength has not come easily since then.

Immelman already has dealt with a few health scares even before slipping on the green jacket. He lost 25 pounds from a stomach parasite in 2007. Later that year, doctors had to slice open his back to remove a tumor from inside his rib cage, and only after the operation did they learn it was benign.

The most recent scar doesn't look like that big of a deal. Immelman rolled up a winter coat on a cold day in Orlando, then brushed back some hair to show a tiny scar from his wrist surgery last December.

So small, yet so much trouble.

He first noticed a twinge in his left wrist toward the end of 2008, and it got so bad the following year he had to withdraw from the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. He thought the rest would help, but the few times he tried to play, he didn't finish higher than 50th if he made the cut.

"The final straw was in Las Vegas last year," he said. "I played a Tuesday practice round, and I was in so much pain that I went back to the hotel and said to (wife) Carminita, 'I don't think I can muscle through this."

He withdrew from the tournament, flew to New York and had surgery a short time later. Immelman was in a cast for three weeks, and it was three months before he had enough strength to even grip a putter.

It was an exercise in patience in so many other ways.

Immelman is the opposite of another Masters champion -- Phil Mickelson -- in that he does everything left-handed except playing golf and playing the guitar. He had to learn simply chores like brushing his teeth with his right hand.

Swing coach David Leadbetter says the strength in his wrist is about 95 percent, and the desire is as strong as ever.

"I think he's in a good place," Leadbetter said. "I fully expect him to really get it back. It wasn't a shock he won Augusta because he's been a very, very good player for a long time. Since that time, people say, 'Geez, what happened to him? He dropped off the face of the earth.' Not quite. Certain injuries can derail a player.

"The good thing is he's young enough, and experienced enough, that he's looking at a new dawn, so to speak."

Immelman plans to start his new season at the Bob Hope Classic. The only change might be travel, for while he is loyal to the European Tour, the new minimum requirement of 13 tournaments might be tough on him because of his status. Having fallen so far in the ranking, Immelman is not in the World Golf Championships that count toward both tours.

About the only good that came out of his injury was time at home.

His wife recently gave birth to a daughter, and Immelman has had a blast with his 4-year-old son, Jacob. The boy loves sports and loves to fish. Immelman chuckles as he tells stories of Jacob dressing up in his astronaut suit to go to the grocery store and wearing his Dallas Cowboys uniform to church.

"He kept his helmet on the whole time," Immelman said.

Now, Immelman can only wonder if he did as much damage to his confidence as to his wrist.

His doctors told him that while it was safe to play this year after surgery, he might not trust himself until later in the year, and that proved correct. Immelman doesn't believe he can find confidence hitting balls on the range or fine-tuning his swing with Leadbetter.

"Confidence only grows when you shoot 65, when you hit 18 greens in regulation, when you get your name on the leaderboard," he said. "It's never fun not playing how you know you can play. You see that in aging athletes. The game peels off strictly because of age, but they know how great they are and it's tough."

"The relief for me is I'm only 30," he added. "I truly believe my best golf is still ahead of me."

Golfers not responsible for all bad shots

An errant shot that left a man blind in one eye has produced a message for golfers: you are not responsible for all of your bad shots.

The errant shot came while three friends were playing at Dix Hills Golf Course on Long Island in 2002. The man who lost part of his vision, Azad Anand, was no longer able to work as a neuroradiologist. He sued Annop Kapoor, the golfer whose shot hit him, claiming that Kapoor should have warned him by yelling fore.

But on Tuesday, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that Kapoor was not responsible for yelling fore because Anand was not in the intended path of the ball, so Kapoor was not responsible for paying damages.

The court, which sided with several lower courts, ruled that Anand assumed the risk that he could be hit by an errant ball when he decided to play golf. And Kapoor was responsible for yelling fore only to golfers in the ball’s intended path.

“What this now means,” said Carl Tobias, a professor of law at the University of Richmond, “is that when you play golf in New York, you are only liable for hitting someone” if that person is in front of you.

Anand said he never heard anyone yell fore. On the first hole, Kapoor’s second shot landed in the rough about 20 yards from Anand’s ball, which was sitting in the fairway. Kapoor did not wait for Anand to find his ball and hit his third shot, which struck Anand, who was not in the intended direction of the ball, according to the court ruling.

The decision was the latest in a series of similar rulings about who is liable when a golfer is struck on a course. In 2007, the California State Court of Appeals made a similar ruling, saying golfers were not responsible for many injuries sustained by fellow golfers on the course.

New York and California are two of the leading states in tort law, and both states ruling the same way “will almost certainly have larger implications for the rest of the country,” Tobias said.

Fore has been used by golfers since the 18th century to warn others of an errant shot. Although historians are divided on its origins, many believe it originated in the 1700s, when, before artillery was fired, it was customary to shout, “Beware before.”

Dalton B. Floyd, a lawyer in Surfside Beach, S.C., who specializes in golf-related litigation, said courts had traditionally found that golfers are not liable for hitting those golfers not in their intended path.

“There is an inherent risk in golf that not everybody is going to hit a straight shot,” he said. “It’s different, however, if you are driving the ball and you normally hit 200 yards and there is a person 150 yards out and you hit them and don’t yell fore. In that case you have to warn them and if you don’t you are liable.”

Most issues arise, Floyd said, when a golfer hits someone on a green when the golfer thought the green was farther away than it actually was.

“Where we have the most controversy is with the suing of the clubs,” he said. “A guy hits a 3- iron and thought he was 210 yards out but the marker on the course was wrong and someone on the green is hit.”

AP crowns Tiger Woods soap opera sport story of the year

The Associated Press has named its top 10 sports stories of the year, based on ballots from US news organizations that make up the AP's membership.

Tiger Woods is No. 1 on this list.

Yes 2010 was a tough year for Tiger Woods, who went without a win for the first time in his career, lost his No. 1 professional golf ranking, and saw his marriage crumble following allegations of infidelity (made in 2009).

But does Woods deserve a spot atop this list in a year when the New Orleans Saints won their first Super Bowl, thousands of fans converged on Africa for a historic and vuvuzela-fueled World Cup, and Lebron James captivated a nation for 5 minutes with his free agency frenzy?

Not everyone agreed with the AP choice.

"The Tiger Woods story was really more of a 2009 story, right?" asked Andrew Sharp on the sports site sbnation.com. "It spilled well into 2010, but the real story in all of it was the Thanksgiving car crash in 2009, and the phenomenal reporting in the weeks that followed. None of which was done by sports reporters, because, um, well, good question. In any case, US Weekly owes Tiger money (which will go straight to Elin)."

"The fallout from Woods' admission of serial infidelity edged [out] a very different sort of story: The New Orleans Saints winning their first Super Bowl championship, giving an emotional boost to their hurricane-ravaged city." said bloggers from The San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate.com site. "It doesn't take too much of a national perspective to see why those two stories might have trumped the Giants in news value if not pure sports exhilaration."

Others, however, said that the AP's selection was on the money. "When Woods squandered a four-shot lead in his last tournament of the year, it marked the first time in 29 occasions he had lost a lead of more than two strokes in the final round and the first time since 1995 ... he went through a year without a win," noted Phillip Hersh in his stories of the year list for The Chicago Tribune. "Also gone: his wife (divorce), his No. 1 ranking, a reported $22 million in endorsement income ... and a reported $110 million in the divorce settlement."

McDowell voted player of the year by US golf writers

Graeme McDowell has picked up another award.

The U.S. Open champion has been voted player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America.

McDowell received 87 votes to beat Jim Furyk (61) and Martin Kaymer (51). The Northern Irishman won three times this year and captured the decisive match in the Ryder Cup for Europe against the United States.

McDowell also won the Golf Writers Trophy from the British-based Association of Golf Writers. He shared European Tour player of the year with Kaymer.

Yani Tseng won female player of the year from the GWAA, topping Cristie Kerr and Ai Miyazato. Bernhard Langer was the overwhelming choice as the senior player of the year.

They will be honored April 6 in Augusta, Ga.

Teen golfer prodigy breaks a Tiger Woods record; has pro career in sights

As a golfer, having your name uttered in the same breath as Tiger Woods for your achievements on the course is quite a feat, but to have your name mentioned with Woods for breaking his records in undeniably remarkable.

Such a feat has been accomplished by Smithtown transplant by way of Queens, Jim Liu.

This past July, Liu, then 14 years old, became the youngest Junior Amateur Champion in the history of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship when he fired the equivalent of a 64 in the first of the two-round championship round in Ada, Michigan. He surpassed Tiger Woods' record to win the U.S. Amateurs.

Because of his accomplishments, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy honored Liu with a proclamation in late November.

"It was a great honor to meet Mr. Levy and to receive a proclamation from him and Suffolk County," Liu said.

"Jim's accomplishments are refreshing," Levy said. "The hours that go into perfecting a craft are countless. It's obvious he has put in an extraordinary amount of work and it is that work ethic that I find so refreshing from such a young man."

Winning both the championship this summer, being named in the same sentence as Woods, his childhood idol, Liu admitted was a great honor for him.

"I've always been influenced by Tiger Woods," Liu said. "He was a big hero of mine growing up and I've always looked up to him for how great of an athlete he was and how great he was in golf."

Jim and his family moved from Queens to Smithtown when he was five-and-a-half years old, and began playing golf when he was six years old. He admitted that he and his family had no idea how to play the game at first.

"We thought it'd be funny to live in a town and not know how to play golf," he said. "So we went to a driving range and a local clinic to try to get a feel of what it's about and I actually loved the game at the clinic."

Liu credited his parents for keeping him discipline and for helping him stay dedicated to his craft.

Jim's father, Yiming Liu, strongly believed his son has a gift, and is enjoying what Jim loves to do.

"I always remind him to make sure that he has fun," he said. "And I always support him, that's the key."

Jim spends about three-to-four hours daily working on his golfing game.

"If you really love the game, you just have to embrace it and work hard at it," he said. It'll all pay off in the future — you never have to think about practicing that much. It's more about enjoying the game while you're practicing."

Liu's accolades on course accolades are matched his accolades achieved in the classroom as the gold prodigy is maintaining A's in all of his classes. Currently, colleges are recruiting the student-athlete.

"I definitely see myself going to college," he said. "I'm not sure yet where I'm going, I'm just starting the recruiting process but that's something I'm looking forward. Hopefully after college golf, I'll go pro and maybe I can fulfill my dream to be the best that I can."

Elin Nordegren migrates with kids for Christmas

Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren was spotted in Stockholm with her children.

The Swedish former model, who divorced the philandering golfer this year, went out for a stroll in the snow with the couple's children, Sam and Charlie, and some unidentified friends.

It was recently reported that Woods had the children for Thanksgiving and Elin would have them for the Christmas holiday, and take them to her native Sweden.

Kirby, Wong named Canada's top amateurs

Eugene Wong of North Vancouver, B.C., and Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., are Canada's top male and female amateur golfers, Golf Canada announced Thursday.

Wong, 20, was runner-up at the Canadian men's amateur, tied for fourth in individual play at the world amateur, and advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. amateur. He competed at the 2010 RBC Canadian Open at St. George's Golf and Country Club but missed the cut by four shots.

Rounding out the top five on the men's Order of Merit were: Mitchell Evanecz of Red Deer, Alta., Albin Choi of Toronto, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Cam Burke of New Hamburg, Ont.

Kirby, 19, a sophomore at the University of Alabama, was a semifinalist at the U.S. women's amateur, a quarterfinalist at the British ladies amateur and finished ninth at the Copa de las Americas.

Rounding out the top five in the women's national rankings were: Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault, Que., Christine Wong of Richmond, B.C., Jessica Wallace of Langley, B.C., and Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont.

Choi and Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Richmond Hill, Ont., were named Canada's top junior golfers for 2010.

Mike Weir and long time caddie Brennan Little part ways

After 12 years it appears as though Mike Weir is ready for a change.

TSN golf analyst Bob Weeks has learned that the 2003 Masters champion has parted ways with caddie Brennan Little. According to Scoregolf.com, Little informed Weir following the conclusion of last weekend's Shark Shootout that he had accepted an offer to carry the bag of Sean O'Hair full time for the 2011 season.

"Mike and I are great friends, and always will be," Little told Scoregolf.com. "He understood that while it was a very difficult decision for me, I do have to consider what is best for my family. He knows that I will always be there for him, helping in whatever way I can."

Weir said that he felt no ill will towards the St. Thomas, Ont. native who caddied for O'Hair twice when Weir missed time with an elbow injury earlier this year.

"I wish him nothing but the best," Weir told Scoregolf.com. "I told him that if he wanted to get another job he should. I know he has to look after his family."

Weir and Little met playing junior golf in Ontario. Little agreed to become Weir's caddie in 1999 with Weir picking up all eight of his victories on the PGA Tour with Little on his bag.

The change could be advantageous to Little from a financial aspect as O'Hair finished 41st on the PGA Tour's money list last season, earning $1.85 million. Weir meanwhile finished 151st with $559,092 last season.

Weir's 2010 campaign was cut short last summer due to a partially torn elbow ligament.

Tigers' ex-wife on the arm of another?

Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren is moving on from the shamed sports star and is dating a new man, according to U.K. reports.

The couple split last year after news of the sportsman's numerous infidelities hit the headlines, and their divorce was finalized in August, with the Swedish former model walking away with an estimated $100 million.

She only spoke to the press once throughout the scandal to reveal her embarrassment over her husband's infidelities and insisting she just wanted to focus on her two children and her studies for a college course in psychology.

And now Nordegren has been linked to a 35-year-old South African she met while studying in Florida, a source tells Britain's The Sun.

Dustin Johnson & Ian Poulter take the Shark Shootout

Wie finished T6th in Dubai; Tinning claims trophy

Iben Tinning of Denmark ended her career with a victory at the Dubai Ladies Masters on Saturday, clinching the win with a birdie on the last hole to hold off Sweden's Anna Nordqvist by two shots.

The 36-year-old Tinning, who is retiring after 15 years on the tour, shot a 3-under 69 in the final round to finish at 11-under 277.

Lee-Anne Pace won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit despite struggling to a tie for 52nd at 299. She became the first South African to top the women's money list when Laura Davies of England failed to finish first or second.

American Michelle Wie, struggling with back problems all week, was eight shots behind going into the final round, but moved up to a share for sixth place after shooting a 67, the best score of the day, to finish at 283.

"Yeah, I'm just happy to be done. I'm happy I made it through," Wie said. "It's been a little bit of a struggle this week but I was really happy to end on a really good note. Things happened a lot better. Just hit a couple of shots closer."

Tinnen was a shot ahead of the 16th-ranked Nordqvist and England's Melissa Reid going to the 18th and got safely on the green to set up the birdie putt that sealed the victory.

Tinning hugged her husband, Lasse, who caddies for her, after Reid made a bogey putt to end up in third place. It was Tinning's sixth tour victory -- and first since 2005 -- and will help erase the bad memories of playing here in 2007 when she missed a putt on the 17th and then hit a shot in the water on the 18th to hand the win to Annika Sorenstam.

"It's crazy," she said with a smile. "I know it's going through my head now but I can't believe I won. It was amazing. I just tried to keep strong out there and it was tough sometimes. I cannot believe this. I am so happy."

Pace, who lost her European Tour card in 2007 and was 21st on last year's money list, is now looking ahead to next year, setting her sights on a first major title and a maiden win on the LPGA Tour.

"Now, my goals are a lot bigger and I believe I can do anything I want," she said. "After winning five tournaments this year, I know anything is possible."

The 56th-ranked Pace won her first tournament on the tour in Switzerland in June and then four more to take the money lead. She earned more than $449,000, while Davies finished second with over $412,000.

Davies shot a 3-over 75 on the first day to effectively end the title race. She finished in a tie for 19th at 1-over 289.

Davies played eight fewer tournaments than Pace, but praised the South African as a deserving winner.

"She's the one that when I went ahead of her after Spain, she hit back with two wins and you just can't say enough about that," said Davies, a seven-time Order of Merit winner.

LPGA looking for way out of TV deal with Golf Channel

After a year of tape-delayed broadcasts, the LPGA may be reconsidering its long-term deal with Golf Channel, according to Golf World’s Ron Sirak.

“Sources tell Golf World the LPGA is looking for a way out of the 10-year contract that made Golf Channel the exclusive cable partner for the women's tour beginning this year,” Sirak wrote Monday.

Former LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens inked the pact that made the women’s tour an afterthought in Golf Channel’s live programming. Because the PGA, European, Champions, and Nationwide Tours rule over the LPGA in the Golf Channel pecking order, the network aired 38 of 94 official LPGA rounds on tape delay, Sirak noted. TV audiences could not find another 11 at all, even with the golf network offering hours of canned programming.

With more than half of the tour’s contests blacked out, “It’s hard to build a fan base that way,” Sirak said of the struggling LPGA. The women’s tour, which has yet to announce its schedule for next season, offered an abridged calendar in 2010.

LPGA and Golf Channel spokespersons did not respond to Waggle Room requests for comments.

Another John Daly meltdown. This time in Australia

SUNSHINE Coast golf fans have witnessed another John Daly meltdown after the loudly dressed golfer couldn't find form with his putter.

The wild one of golf - who famously hurled his putter into a lake beside the 18th green of the Hyatt Regency Coolum course in 2002 - crashed out of the second round of the Australian PGA after a shocking 83.

A triple bogey, three doubles and three bogeys saw the American with an 11-over par to bomb out of the event.

Daly - who has had huge crowds following him around the Coast course - was one of the drawcards of the PGA - and has been paid handsomely to appear.

Daly was playing along defending champion Robert Allenby and leading Chinese player Wenchong Liang.

Throughout the day he appeared disinterested, rushing his shots and his putts as any hope of making the final cut slipped away.

Tournament promoter Tony Roosenberg, a longtime Daly friend and suppoter, sprung to the American's defence, denying he and Allenby had words.

"That's definitely not the case," Roosenberg told AAP.

"He was very disappointed but there was absolutely no words between the two players.

"John has been playing really well but he can't get the putter going.

"He's been very frustrated and today was a bit much.

"That's the way it goes with John. It must have all gone wrong. He missed the cut (at last week's Australian Open) in Sydney and he had 83 today, which is disappointing.

"He's striking the ball well which makes it all that much harder for him."

Bad back still an issue for Wie @ Dubai Ladies Masters

Danish veteran Iben Tinning, playing in her final Ladies European Tour tournament, was tied for the lead Friday with England's Melissa Reid going into the final round of the Dubai Ladies Masters.

The 36-year-old Tinning, who will retire after 15 years on the tour, was two shots back at the halfway mark but had four birdies on her way to a 3-under 69 to pass overnight leader Lydia Hall of England. Reid was three shots back but managed her best score of the tournament -- a 4-under 68 -- to grab a share of the lead on the final hole at the season-ending tournament in Dubai.

Hall remained in the hunt a shot back, after she recovered from an early double bogey to shoot even par and remain at 7 under. She was tied with 16th-ranked Anna Nordqvist of Sweden who briefly topped the leaderboard before falling back after carding a late bogey.

American Michelle Wie, battling back troubles, had a rollercoaster round. She birdied the third hole to go 2 under, but then had two bogeys on the back nine before stringing together two birdies. On the 18th, she double-bogeyed to move to even par 216 for the tournament and a tie for 17th.

Tinning hasn't won on the tour since a 2005 victory in Denmark and admitted she had butterflies early on knowing she was battling for the lead. She calmed herself down and went onto play some of her best golf of the tournament, aggressively going for the pins and making several clutch putts including one on 15 to save par and on 16 for a birdie.

"This morning when I went out to play, I was really nervous the first few holes," she said. "And it was funny. I said to my husband 'well, this actually what I'm going to miss'. So I've got to enjoy it, even thought it was a bit terrifying."

Tinning acknowledged she "wasn't prepared" to be at the top of the leaderboard going into Sunday but said she would continue playing do-or-die golf knowing "she has nothing to lose."

"I've been waiting for a career win for, what six years and I think it's about time and that's probably one of my last chances," the 110th-ranked Tinning said with a smile.

Reid, who won her first tournament in Turkey earlier this year, moved into contention after making three birdies on the front nine and said she was "quite happy" to finish with two more birdies on the final two holes. Despite a lone bogey on nine after she hit into the water, Reid said she "played solid today" and felt she was in good position to earn her second tour victory.

"Yeah, it would be a nice little Christmas present wouldn't it to win this week," said the 67th-ranked Reid.

Hall appeared to be fading after a double-bogey on the second but she settled herself down to get four birdies on the back nine. A relative unknown on the tour who has yet to finish better than sixth, Hall credited her improved performance with a training routine the past 10 weeks and work on her swing that has resulted in her adding 10 yards to many of her shots.

"There are huge names on the leaderboard and I'm just concentrating on myself, one shot at a time," she said. "We'll see what happens. Anything can happen."

Wie, who rushed right to the putting green after her round, lamented some missed opportunities on the front nine where she parred every hole except one and the par 5s where the normally big-hitting Wie had two bogeys and a double bogey to go along with a lone par.

"I didn't play well on the par 5 in the end. Oh well," Wie said. "I didn't make any birdie putts in the beginning which is a struggle for me. Other than that, I played pretty solid. I just have to monkey with a couple of shots."

PGA Tour banking on young guns for '11

Move over, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and all you other golfing geezers. With the 2011 U.S. golf season weeks away, Woods winless, Lefty under the weather, and hot-shot Rickie Fowler hoisting the Rookie of the Year trophy, the PGA Tour has embarked on a marketing blitz to push the 20-somethings making their marks on fairways worldwide.

The first stage of the “New Breed” vs. The Establishment (Choose Your Side)” promo, which PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem made official Thursday, aired during last weekend’s Chevron World Challenge. The 40-second spot, dramatic music and all, purports to pit young guns Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Camilo Villegas, and Anthony Kim vs. Woods, Mickelson, Player of the Year Jim Furyk, and Steve Stricker, respectively.

The piece -- with the tagline “There comes a time when every generation must rise up. That time is now” -- is the start of a TV and print marketing plan “to better familiarize fans with up and coming stars,” according to Joel Schuchmann, the tour’s communications director. The tour wants fans to “‘pick sides’ and have favorite players above and beyond the Tigers and Phils of the world,” Schuchmann said.

Finchem wants to cash in on “the tremendous interest in young players coming up," the commissioner said during a season-ending conference call with reporters. "I've never...seen so much buzz and interest about rookies and young players creating exciting performances. Actually, it has led us to conclude that we really need to focus on that dynamic as we go into 2011."

The tour will spotlight other “new breeders,” including British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen, Travelers champ and big hitter Bubba Watson, and FedEx Cup contender Jason Day. The golfers who’ll grab the headlines will be those who show up week to week, including potential newcomers.

“Obviously, for this marketing plan to be successful,” Schuchmann noted, “the players have to do some positive things on the course in 2011.”

Nationwide Tour POY and PGA Tour rookie, 22-year-old Jamie Lovemark, could figure into what Schuchmann said would be a “nimble” advertising effort that will “adapt” to who’s hot and who’s not.

“If [Lovemark] or other up-and-comers win or make a splash early on, they would probably be added to the overall campaign,” Schuchmann added.

As for Europeans like wunderkind Rory McIlroy and others who will take their talents across the pond in 2011 -- don’t look for them in the tour’s adverts.

“While as a non-member [McIlroy] most likely won't be part of this campaign,” Schuchmann said, “we’re excited he will most likely play 10 [or] 11 times on the PGA TOUR next year and will add a great deal to our overall product during those weeks.”

Despite what seemed to be a bit of Tiger trashing, don’t get Finchem wrong. He knows that Woods remains the tour’s cash cow. One glance at the ratings from the Chevron’s final round could tell him that.

“[Tiger’s] overall presence as a player who is chasing big records and a perennial No. 1 player, now No. 2, is that he increases interest across the board in the sport, whether he's playing or not,” Finchem massively understated. “From a television perspective, Tiger...increases the audience.”

But, after weathering the first season with zero Woods’ victories in 14 years, Finchem needed some new glamour guys to fill the gaps when Tiger’s off his game. Looks like Fowler, Johnson, and other eager young tour players will be Finchem’s 2011 “It” boys.

Merry Christmas; Lee Westwood remains #1 with win in South Africa

For Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood, contenders for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award later this month, the weekend could not have gone any better and their successes are further reflected in the latest World Ranking.

Westwood went into the Nedbank Golf Challenge knowing that Tiger Woods had a chance to overtake him as the World Number One should the American win his own tournament – the Chevron World Challenge – and Westwood finish outside the top two in Sun City. Westwood’s response? To win by eight strokes and extend his lead over Woods to 0.8 points at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, stamping his authority at the top of the order.

McDowell’s fourth win of a dream season, where he denied Woods in his own backyard by winning a play-off for the Chevron World Challenge, elevated him to a career high of seventh in the World Ranking, a climb of four places from last week. McDowell started the year in 39th place but his US Open success coupled with victories in the Celtic Manor Wales Open, Andalucia Valderrama Masters and now the Chevron World Challenge, have lifted him to his highest position in the World.

There are currently six Europeans in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking with Westwood top, Martin Kaymer third, McDowell seventh, Paul Casey eighth, Luke Donald ninth and Ian Poulter tenth.

Monday Backspin with Casey Black

Tiger loses lead and tournament in playoff to Graeme McDowell

U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell capped off his greatest year with two clutch putts that gave him the greatest comeback ever against Tiger Woods.

McDowell holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to force a playoff Sunday in the Chevron World Challenge, then made another birdie putt from a little longer away to deny Woods a victory in his final tournament of the year.

"It's the stuff of dreams -- 2010 has been the stuff of dreams," McDowell said.

Woods, despite losing a four-shot lead, was poised to end a turbulent year with a victory in his final event. Tied for the lead playing the 18th hole at Sherwood Country Club, he stuffed an 8-iron inside 3 feet for a sure birdie. It was vintage Woods, the kind of magic he has he delivered so often in his career.

But it wasn't the same old outcome.

McDowell, with his own reputation as a tough closer, stayed in the game on the 17th by taking a penalty drop on the 18th tee and escaping with bogey. Then after Woods' great shot, McDowell answered with an all-or-nothing birdie putt.

In the playoff on the same hole, McDowell coaxed in another birdie putt from about 25 feet. Woods had about 15 feet to extend the playoff, but it missed just right of the cup.

"Probably two of the great putts I've made," McDowell said.

It was the first time Woods has ever lost a tournament when leading by at least three shots going into the final round. And it was the first time Woods has lost an event and felt good about himself.

"It was a great week, even though I didn't win," Woods said. "I'm proud of the way I played today, even though I lost."

Indeed, it was the first time Woods like the No. 1 player of old. He opened with three rounds in the 60s, the first time since the PGA Championship last year that he led after the first three rounds.

But he three-putted twice for bogey early in his round, lost the lead with a double bogey on the par-5 13th, then rallied to give himself a chance to win when McDowell paid for a few bad shots.

Ultimately, it was great theater. And for the first time all year, it included Woods.

"He will be back to winning tournaments very soon," McDowell said.

McDowell closed with a 69, while Woods shot a 73 to match him at 16-under 272. They were four shots clear of Paul Casey, who had had a 69 to finish alone in third.

McDowell showed why he is considered such a tough closer, despite letting Woods back into the game late.

He had a one-shot lead -- courtesy of Woods chopping his way to double bogey on the par-5 13th -- when McDowell pulled his tee shot on the par-3 17th into grass so deep that he took a penalty drop onto the 18th tee. But he dropped only one shot when Woods missed his birdie putt and McDowell pitched over a tree to about 7 feet and made the bogey putt.

Then, Woods had a big advantage again -- but not for long.

"We had a good battle out there," Woods said.

Woods was shaky early on with the putter to quickly lose his four-shot cushion, but he didn't fall out of the lead until the 13th.

He took his hand off the club on a poor tee shot that went into the left rough, forcing him to lay up. Then came another poor swing, again letting the club fall from his hands, as his wedge sailed over the green. He chipped through the green, chipped back 6 feet long and missed the putt to make double bogey.

McDowell reached the green in two for a birdie, which was a massive three-shot swing.

It was the first time Woods trailed in the tournament since the 13th hole of the opening round, a stretch of 54 holes.

McDowell needed only four holes to put some tension into this final round, with plenty of help from the host.

Woods three-putted for bogey from about 25 feet on the opening hole. Two holes later, he ran his birdie putt about 3 feet beyond the cup and three-putted again for bogey. McDowell closed within one shot with a 4-foot birdie on the fourth, and that's the way it stayed for the next eight holes.

Woods probably should have lost the lead earlier.

He holed a tough, downhill putt from 8 feet for par on the sixth to stay one ahead. And on the par-3 eighth, after a flop shop from deep rough sailed 15 feet onto the fringe, Woods again made a key par putt to keep the lead.

Woods was grinding to keep his game together, which was not unusual considering it had been one year and 20 days since he last played in the final round of a tournament with the lead. He never got it back, thanks to the clutch putting from McDowell.

A year ago, McDowell was a last-minute alternate to this tournament when Woods' personal life began to collapse. He finished second and earned enough Official World Golf Ranking points that he eventually got into the U.S. Open, which he won at Pebble Beach.

At a party Saturday night, McDowell asked tournament director Greg McLaughlin if he could at least try to win the tournament. Woods and a four-shot lead used to be a given. Upon seeing McLaughlin after winning, McDowell apologized.

It may have ruined a good story for Woods. It capped a dream season for McDowell, who won $1.2 million and moved up to No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Jim Furyk named PGA Player of the Year

Jim Furyk, who won the FedExCup on the strength of three PGA TOUR victories, was named the 2010 PGA TOUR Player of the Year on a vote by his fellow competitors, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem announced Saturday at the Chevron World Challenge.

Furyk, 40, earns his first-ever Player of the Year award after winning the Transitions Championship, the Verizon Heritage and the season-ending TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. His three victories were more than any other player on TOUR and he totaled seven top-10s in 21 starts.

Furyk also finished second on the money list with $4,809,622 and fifth in adjusted scoring average at 69.83.

"The year just keeps getting better is all I can say," Furyk said. "I'm not sure I want 2010 to end at this point."

Furyk, who will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as Player of the Year, beat out Ernie Els, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Phil Mickelson.

"Jim is a tremendous player, a consummate professional and with three wins and the FedExCup title, his season was certainly worthy of the award," Finchem said.

Furyk had gone more than two years without winning until his victory in the Transitions Championship in March, then won again a month later at Hilton Head. He ended the year with a par save from the bunker on the final hole at East Lake to not only win the Tour Championship, but the FedEx Cup.

He previously won player of the year from the PGA of America, an award based on points. This was a vote of PGA TOUR players.

"This one is very meaningful ... having all my peers and colleagues -- basically the guys I play against week in and week out -- and to have them vote for me as player of the year is what's special," Furyk said.

Rickie Fowler was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year and Jamie Lovemark was named Nationwide Tour Player of the Year.

Martin Kaymer crowned European #1

Martin Kaymer became only the second German to be crowned European Number One after Bernhard Langer by winning The 2010 Race to Dubai.

The 25 year old, the youngest Number One since Ronan Rafferty in 1989 and only the fourth continental European to win the Harry Vardon Trophy after Seve Ballesteros, Robert Karlsson and Langer, had just one hole of the final event, the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World, to play when the year-long Race to Dubai was officially decided.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, the only remaining challenger with a week to go, needed a top three finish to have any chance, but closing rounds of 69 and 68 were just too little too late.

Topping The Race to Dubai earned Kaymer an impressive bonus of €1,092,418 from a $7.5 million Bonus Pool that rewards the leading 15 money winners, taking his season’s earnings to €4,461,010 and surpassing Lee Westwood’s record of 12 months ago by over €200,000.

Kaymer said: "It's been a fantastic year I think. All of the goals that I set for myself, for my career, everything happened this year. To win The Race to Dubai, Number One in Europe, and to play The Ryder Cup, and to win a Major.

"And obviously when you win a Major you know that you can win any tournament in the world.

“I am very proud. I am very satisfied with my year, and that round today, my goal was obviously to play as well as possible, to putt 100 per cent in there. And that is what I certainly did. It was not my best round of the week but I really enjoyed that week and I really enjoyed the last round that I played.

“As we walked up the 18th, the announcer was saying all the scores, the PGA Champion, currently Number One in The Race to Dubai, and it sounds pretty good to me. It's a very proud moment.”

McDowell, unable to add the finishing touch he wanted to an incredible season in which he won the US Open Championship and helped regain The Ryder Cup for Europe, said: "It's been a dream season and it just so happened that Martin had an unbelievable season as well.

"It's just been a great year for European golf and I'm just very proud to be part of that.

"My greatest moment was the putt on the 16th (at The Celtic Manor Resort). There's nothing like The Ryder Cup.

"To give Martin a run for his money this week was very good, but things didn't really go my way - it's a golf course which continues to frustrate me.

"I played unbelievably well this weekend, but could barely buy a putt."

Kaymer might well have finished Number One last year but for an August go-kart accident in which he broke three toes and was put out of the game for two months.

He eventually finished third behind Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, but started his season with victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship and then had a spell he will never forget.

Two months after McDowell had gone to Pebble Beach and become Europe's first US Open Champion since 1970 Kaymer won the US PGA Championship after a play-off with Bubba Watson, then added the KLM Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on his next two starts.

The last of those came just six days after he had made his Ryder Cup debut - a winning debut, of course - so he could actually claim four triumphs in a row.

McDowell did well to make it a contest after that, but came up short in the final week.

Not that he allowed it to take the gloss off his year - and he now believes he could become World Number One.

"I know I can get a lot better when I see one of my friends and colleagues Lee Westwood as the world's best player of course I have to believe I can do the same thing."

Karlsson out duels Poulter in the desert

Robert Karlsson overcame Ian Poulter in a play-off to win the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.

The pair tied on the 14 under par mark of 274 after Karlsson, three behind overnight, played the first three holes in four under and then pitched to three feet for a birdie on the 620 yard last.

They were round in 67 and 70 respectively and so sudden death decided who won the first prize of €910,348.

Both birdied the first extra hole after hitting approaches within five feet, and at the second extra hole Poulter mis-cued his sand wedge approach to leave a 30 foot putt.

Karlsson was precise again, his ball finishing three feet from the cup, and to make matters worse Poulter then picked up a one shot penalty when he dropped his ball on his marker and moved it.

Two putts meant a bogey six for Poulter, but the penalty was irrelevant as Karlsson holed his birdie putt.

The 2008 European Number One, who has suffered a serious eye problem and glandular fever since then, will also remember his start.

From three behind Poulter overnight he birdied the first two holes and then sank an eight iron on the third for an eagle two, just as Martin Kaymer did in the opening round.

World Number One and defending champion Westwood shared third place with Alvaro Quiros a stroke behind, the Spaniard missing a long eagle putt on the 18th and Westwood pulling his second to the hole into water and taking five when a birdie would have made him part of the play-off.

Kaymer and Graeme McDowell, the only two contenders for The Race to Dubai entering the event, finished joint 13th, which earned the 25 year old German - the youngest number one since Ronan Rafferty in 1989 - a bonus of €1,092,418.

McDowell had to finish third in the tournament just to have a chance, but the memories of the US Open Championship and Ryder Cup, of course - softened the blow of just missing out on the top spot.

Karlsson said: "It was a strange day to say the least. To start birdie-birdie-eagle is not what you expect to happen when you are three behind.

"Then there was the one shot penalty. It's not the way you want to win, but these things happen in golf.

“It's a fantastic field, and obviously when we have all of the best players in Europe together, the way it looks now, it's going to be a great field - so to win here is fantastic.”

Poulter, winner of last week’s UBS Hong Kong Open and looking for consecutive wins for the first time in his career, struggled to contain his disappointment.

“A lot of positives to take away, but right now not really seeing them,” he said.

Fisher & Poulter lead after 2 rounds in Dubai

Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter led the way with turbo-charged displays as the elite of European golf jockeyed for position on a day of superb low-scoring in the Dubai World Championship second round on Friday.

In the two-way tussle to finish the season as European number one on Sunday, money-list leader Martin Kaymer opened an eight-shot advantage over Graeme McDowell, second in the money list.

German Kaymer shot a 70 for a seven-under total of 137 while Briton McDowell slumped to a 73 for 145.

Up for grabs for Kaymer and McDowell, the only two players who can top the money-list, is a $1.26 million cheque for winning the tournament plus a $1.5 million bonus for finishing the season as Europe's number one.

"It's not over," said McDowell, who is playing his fifth tournament in five weeks and acknowledged he felt mentally drained. "Going 65-65 at the weekend is not out of the question.

"I just have to rest," the Northern Irishman told reporters. "I have got to somehow go out and relax and have a good time, maybe have a few beers tonight and hang out by the hotel pool."

Irish Open champion Fisher was as relaxed as anyone in the Dubai heat, equaling fellow Briton Lee Westwood's eight-under par course record 64 set last year to finish on 135.

Poulter, bidding for back-to-back titles after his victory in the Hong Kong Open last Sunday, carded a 66 to join compatriot Fisher on nine-under.

World number one Westwood was one stroke adrift in third place after a 67 while fellow Briton Paul Casey (67) also joined the birdie bonanza to take joint fourth spot on 137 with Kaymer and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee (69).

Wie out of LPGA Tour Championship

Nine of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings will play in the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship next week at Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla.

As expected, Michelle Wie wasn’t on the commitment list released Tuesday by the LPGA. She’s the lone player among the top 10 who isn’t scheduled to play.

Wie withdrew from the Lorena Ochoa Invitational with back pain almost two weeks ago, but her appearance in the LPGA Tour Championship was uncertain even before that. She’s had a long-standing commitment to play in the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters the week after the LPGA Tour Championship. Omega’s one of her sponsors. Her appearance in the LPGA Tour Championship became uncertain when LPGA officials announced late in the summer that they were moving their tournament dates to December, up against final exams at Stanford, where Wie’s a senior, and up against her Dubai appearance.

Wie’s ailing back is healing, with her representatives reporting today that she visited her doctors Monday and is “happy with her progress.” She’s planning to rest and rehab this week and next week with the plan to play in Dubai.

If Wie plays in Dubai in two weeks, it’s sure to draw some flak from fellow pros who think she should support one of the LPGA’s flagship events. The tour’s been on a blitz in Central Florida the past week promoting its season-ending event with players making appearances at Sea World, Disney World, an Orlando Magic basketball game and other venues to create interest. The Rolex No. 1 world ranking and Rolex Player of the Year are among the big prizes up for grabs in the season finale.

Tiger Woods has caught the "Tweeting" bug

Tiger Woods has joined the chorus of athletes Twittering away at fans.

The disgraced golf great began tweeting Nov. 17, shortly after he released an update to the world about how he was coping after his divorce. Tiger's persona is maintained by a well-documented media machine, and we're trying to discern if his tweets are edited or if they're even him.

The usually ultra-private Woods is making himself ultra-accessible (by his standards) and opening fans and followers up to an rarely seen side of him. On Nov. 18 the golf star tweeted, "the best part about phone interviews is getting to wear shorts." (It jokes!)

Of course, it may all be part of Tiger's PR campaign to rehabilitate his image following his much-publicized indiscretions and destroyed marriage. It reminds us of another controversial athlete, LeBron James', own attempts to use Twitter to regulate public opinion.

James regularly answers fans and has even spawned a fake account dedicated to his ego. (A hilarious read.)

Man died after being struck by golf ball

SANFORD, Fla. -- A worker at a central Florida country club is dead after being struck by a golf ball.

Police say Maurice Hayden was doing maintenance work at the Mayfair Country Club in Sanford on Wednesday when he was struck in the temple by a golfer's tee shot.

The 42-year-old man was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital. Police say he died Thursday after being removed from life support.

Police are calling the incident an accident and say the golfer will not face charges.

Kobe Bryant shows Tiger the way to redemption - WINNING

Kobe Bryant wasn’t about to go there. Not when he controls the message, and what happened seven years ago in a hotel room in Colorado fades from public memory.

That didn’t stop a reporter from trying on the eve of the first anniversary of the Tiger Woods scandal to find out how Bryant thought he was able to overcome his own scandal and regain his stature as a superstar in demand by fans around the NBA.

“I’m not answering that question,” Bryant said earlier this month in Denver.

Nothing new there. Bryant has never talked publicly about what happened between himself and a teenage hotel worker that night, though he did have his attorney read a statement in which he apologized to the woman for his behavior.

While Woods continues to struggle to define his scandal, Bryant for the most part seems to have successfully put his behind him even if the allegations against him were more serious. The sexual assault charges were dropped, he paid to settle a civil suit brought by the alleged victim and both sides have kept quiet ever since.

As a strategy, it seems to be working. His image has recovered enough that he earns millions of dollars a year in endorsement deals and his jersey is a top seller not only at home but in Europe and China.

That may be largely because Bryant found a way to do something Woods has yet to do – keep on winning.

“Kobe went back onto the court and returned to his all-star status. He brought back the legions of basketball fans first,” said Michael Kempner, president of MWW Group public relations in East Rutherford, N.J. “Tiger hasn’t, and in many ways people are reveling in his mediocrity.”

Adding two more titles to his haul since the charges in Colorado has paid off nicely for Bryant. He signed a contract extension in April worth nearly $90 million over three years to become the highest paid player in the NBA, and Forbes magazine estimated that his total annual earnings come close to $50 million when endorsements are figured in.

“Yes, Kobe Bryant had an incident,” said Ronn Torossian, president of 5W Public Relations in New York. “But the incident didn’t define Kobe Bryant. He has recovered, just like many others have recovered.”

Indeed, the mention of his name is no longer followed by talk about the charges. If anything, discussion now revolves around whether he may one day be regarded as the greatest player in the game.

“It’s unbelievable if you think back to that time because the allegations were far more serious than the ones facing Tiger,” said Ralph Cindrich, a sports attorney and agent in Pittsburgh. “Kobe is an example of what can happen if someone comes back, conducts himself properly and says the right things.”

It’s a template some think Woods might want to follow as he tries to put a sex scandal of his own behind him a year after his private escapades were revealed. There is one difference: Bad as they were, the accusations against Bryant came from one woman. Woods is now a divorced man because of numerous reports of serial cheating.

In Bryant’s case, his attorney read the following statement on his client’s behalf:

“I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did.”

Bryant immediately returned to basketball – and winning.

Woods relayed his regrets in a globally televised message: “I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in. …”

As for winning, it hasn’t happened.

“It all starts with winning and the popularity goes from there,” Cindrich said. “It’s the same way with a Michael Vick or a Ben Roethlisberger. People tend to forgive and forget when they win.”

Once one of the NFL’s biggest and highest paid stars, Vick was broke, reviled and his career was in ruins after he served 18 months in federal prison for running a dogfighting ring.

Now he’s on top again, quarterbacking for the Philadelphia Eagles, and could become perhaps the biggest free agent on the market next year.

Roethlisberger returned to the Steelers on Oct. 17 following a four-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. He was accused of, but not charged with, sexually assaulting a Georgia college student in March. Since his return, the Steelers are 3-2 (6-3 overall), including losses to two of the best teams in the league – New England and New Orleans.

Woods and Bryant went to dinner in Orlando last year before the golfer’s scandal broke, with Bryant reportedly trying to find out how Woods handled life in a fishbowl.

Someday they may have even more in common if Woods can regain his dominance on the golf course.

“I think America loves to build stars, knock stars down a little bit and then build them back up,” said David Schwab, a vice president at Octagon who specializes in offering celebrity strategy for brands. “You certainly saw that with Kobe.”

Kaymer & McDowell set for Dubai duel

Every year at the beginning of December a group of golf journalists are invited to lunch by the European Tour and we are expected to sing for our sustenance by deciding the Tour's Golfer of the Year.

It is always a convivial gathering, spiced by lively debate stirring memories of the fine golf we have witnessed over the previous 11 months, but more often than not the decision-making process is completed somewhere between the starter and the main course.

The swift selection process is not a dereliction of duty, it is simply that one outstanding candidate invariably emerges from the discussion. Indeed, there is often no need for any chat at all as it is immediately obvious to whom the accolade should go and we can raise a glass to the winner with a clear conscience.

It didn't take too long to nominate Lee Westwood last year and Padraig Harrington was the obvious choice in 2008 and 2007. But this time? Well, let's just hope the cheeseboard is well stocked because we may be arguing for quite some time.

There is very little to choose between the two outstanding candidates, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer.

Both have won majors in the United States, while Kaymer has won three other titles compared to McDowell's two. That would seem to give the edge to the German, who leads the Race to Dubai heading into this week's final event, the Dubai World Championship.

But that doesn't take account of the extraordinary role McDowell played in the final match of the Ryder Cup, holding his nerve against Hunter Mahan to win the trophy for Europe.

For my money those achievements are enough to mark out McDowell as the outstanding UK sports personality of 2010 - OK, I admit I am biased - but are they enough to make the US Open champion Europe's Golfer of the Year?

It is an extraordinarily tough call but one that might become a little easier if either of the two finishes the season in style in Dubai.

Kaymer won his first major with victory at the USPGA Championship in August but has called this the biggest week of his career as winning the Race to Dubai was his stated ambition at the start of the year.

Only McDowell can deny him the title. The Northern Ireland man is 290, 911 Euros behind heading into this big-money event and needs a top-three finish to have any chance of pipping his rival.

For that to happen, McDowell will need to sustain and improve on the form that gave him a third-placed finish in Singapore and fifth in Hong Kong in the last two weeks.

Kaymer, on the other hand, took last week off and said he has never slept as well given the exhausting nature of his stellar season. He's raring to go and keen to finish the job over the coming days.

It was another massive boost for the European Tour when Kaymer confirmed he will not be taking up PGA Tour membership next season. The implication is that his chosen tour is every bit as strong as its American counterpart.

Already the PGA Tour has felt the need to slightly alter its eligibility rules for players leaving them, which means Westwood will be able to play the US events that he wants to compete in next year.

The world number one will be allowed to accept three tournament invitations on top of the four majors, three World Golf Championships and the Players' Championship. Until this tweak Westwood was facing a choice between having to miss either the Players or defending the title he won in Memphis this year.

The change in rules shows how the PGA Tour is having to bend to the current power shift in the world game and benefits Rory McIlroy, who is not renewing his membership Stateside.

There are no such restrictions on Kaymer because he has never been a PGA Tour member, so isn't liable to the rules put in place to deter players from turning their backs on membership as McIlroy is doing next year.

All of which is fine news for the European Tour as it readies itself to unveil its 2011 calendar. There are plenty of issues to be resolved with sponsorship of the Irish Open again high on the agenda. There's also the likelihood of the Scottish Open heading north to Castle Stuart and a later end to the season with the Dubai World Championship switching to a December date.

That, though, is for next year. There's still plenty to be decided in 2010, which should provide for a fascinating finale before what is sure to be a lengthy lunch to decide the Europe's player of the year.

Sean Foley; The new generation golf guru?

Sean Foley is ready to step into the spotlight.

The man overseeing the latest set of changes to Tiger Woods's golf swing remains something of an unknown outside of the golf industry -- even in Canada, where he was born, raised and first started teaching the game.

But that has slowly started to change since striking up a working relationship with Woods in August.

"There's recognition in airports and restaurants, and that never happened before," Foley said in a recent interview. "People say 'that's got to be so annoying.' But I created it, I said yes (when asked to work with Woods) and I could have said no. You have to embrace it and take it on.

"This is when your principles and character (are important). Who you tell people you are and what you believe about yourself, this is when it's tested."

In fact, Foley is hoping to take his profile to another level. The 36-year-old from Burlington, Ont., has signed on with sports agency The Wasserman Group -- looking for agent Chris Armstrong to "drum up business" -- and released his first instructional DVD, titled The Next Generation.

Foley had relied solely on the quality of his work to speak for itself.

"I've never really built my brand," he said. "I still don't have a website."

The desire to start brand building comes at an interesting time for Foley -- and not just because he's now working with Woods. Some have recently criticized his teaching methods, accusing him of borrowing heavily from the "Stack and Tilt" swing developed by Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett.

Foley has been around the PGA Tour since getting hired by Calgary's Stephen Ames four years ago. He also works with Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan and Justin Rose, among others, but only recently started hearing negative things about his style.

"It never happened until I started working with Tiger," he said.

Foley is the first to acknowledge that he's studied up on what others are teaching, both about golf and life. He's well-versed on a variety of subjects -- referencing everyone from Gandhi to Bob Marley to Deepak Chopra to Phil Jackson during a 30-minute interview -- and aims to pass on whatever he can to his pupils.

He readily acknowledges that the foundation for his knowledge on the golf swing comes from others.

"My job is to help people so why would I not tap into every educational source?" said Foley. "I'm not going to pretend that I'm going to figure it all out on my own. Looking at (David) Leadbetter's stuff and Butch (Harmon's) stuff and Chuck Cook, Mac O'Grady, Mark Evershed and Stack and Tilt and all that. It's my job to know that.

"If you've done this for 16 years and you're smart and you're passionate about helping people, you will all find the same points."

Foley still manages to stand out. He's supremely confident in his ability and has no qualms about doing things his own way.

It's something Armstrong plans to use to his advantage as he seeks out ways to start growing Foley's brand.

"We strongly believe that with Sean's contemporary and innovative approach to golf instruction, his candid and dynamic personality, and commitment to using his success as a platform to affect change in the lives of those who are less fortunate, his brand has great appeal to both the corporate and non-profit sectors," Armstrong wrote in an email. "I have no doubt that he will have opportunities both inside and outside of the sport of golf -- endorsements, corporate outings, public speaking engagements, and literary works to suggest a few."

The release of his DVD on Monday was the first step. Produced by brother Kevin Foley and Toronto-based Project 10 Productions, The Next Generation offers 90 minutes of insight and tips to improve the golf swing.

The advice isn't much different than what he gives to his top clients on a regular basis.

"I was teaching a 15 handicap the other day and I was working on the same thing that I'm trying to get Sean O'Hair to do," said Foley. "Now, when they both do it well, it looks completely different. But it helps them equally."

The arc of Foley's career has been pretty dramatic. Prior to starting his work with Ames in 2006, he served as director of player development for the ClubLink Academy out of Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont. Now just four years later, he's got one of the highest-profile jobs in the sport.

While Foley always envisioned himself in his current position, he acknowledges that some fortunate timing also played a role. Reflecting on that helps keep him grounded.

"There's many people who have done the same thing and just didn't get the opportunity," he said. "That kind of takes the arrogance out of it, where you feel like you're just amazing, because you realize that if Stephen Ames doesn't come down (and hire him), who knows?

"I might be back at Glen Abbey right now."

-Canadian Press

Ian Poulter holds off Simon Dyson to win 10th Euro title

Ian Poulter landed his tenth European Tour title by holding off all challengers at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

The 34 year old, who narrowly missed out at last week's Barclays Singapore Open, closed with a three under par 67 to finish with a 22 under par aggregate of 258.

That was one clear of compatriot Simon Dyson and Italy's Matteo Manassero, but in truth The Ryder Cup star never looked like relinquishing the advantage he had held since the second round.

A bogey at the last after his approach found the bunker slightly spoiled his card, but three birdies on the front nine and a brilliant eagle at the par five 13th - where he nailed his drive then faded a fairway wood approach to 12 feet - secured victory.

"It feels more than good," said Poulter. "I'll be honest, the last two weeks I've been really disappointed. Shanghai I was lying fourth with six holes to play.

"Obviously last week, I was in the lead for a number of holes. I was in position again to win and I didn't do it - I didn't convert the putts.

"I played nicely on Sunday - on Monday shall I say - and didn't quite convert the putts, and I've played great all week this week.

"I think today, I actually played better to shoot three under than I did ten under. I don't think I've hit as many good golf shots today in a long time. So it was nice, I felt calm all day. I felt as if I just kept going around my business, I'd make a few birdie putts and that would be enough to win - it's very pleasing to do so."

Dyson's 65 saw him emerge as the main challenger, but after a front nine 30 the former KLM Open winner's putter went cold on the way in and he picked up just one more shot.

"Disappointed," admitted the former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner. "I played lovely today, I just didn't hole a thing on the back nine, didn't hole a thing.

"Eight kind of stopped me in my tracks. I got off to such a great start that the bogey on eight just stopped me in my tracks a bit.

"I had a good chance at nine - I had a good chance on every hole the back nine. Didn't miss a green and they just didn't want to drop and that last one summed it up, absolutely summed it up. It can't miss three foot out, downhill, downgrain and it stops two inches short.

"Still, a great week. I played lovely, and it's good to take into the last tournament of the year."

Manassero's eight under 62 confirmed the teenager's outstanding talent, while American Anthony Kang took fourth ahead of Graeme McDowell - who having been second overnight will be disappointed not to have made a bigger dent in Martin Kaymer's Race to Dubai lead.

World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play winner Poulter had hardly put a foot wrong all week and when he found water at the third it was his first bogey of the tournament.

"After hitting a poor four iron on the third hole and making bogey, I think I pretty much had a birdie putt on every single hole," he added. "You know, putts from eight feet which kept looking like they were going to go in but didn't. But to make five at the last, get the job done, it's a good victory."

The win also moves Poulter to eleventh in the Official World Golf Rankings and increases his earnings in The Race to Dubai to €1,983,142 - the most he has ever won in a single European Tour season.

Manassero became the youngest ever winner on The European Tour in Spain last month, and was pleased to continue his good form.

"Fantastic day actually for me," he said. "I started the day quite far behind - Poulter was 19, I was 13.

"I made some great shots, so I'm very happy with the way I played and the way I tried to catch the leaders."

McDowell's challenge for the title never really materialised as the Northern Irishman finished with a two under 68 to take fifth place.

The US Open Champion was undone by two bogeys in his first three holes and though he recovered on the back nine with five birdies, it was too late to threaten playing partner Poulter.

McDowell now switches his focus to the Dubai World Championship next week where he hopes to be crowned Europe's Number One ahead of current Race to Dubai leader Martin Kaymer, having reduced his arrears to €214,222.

Rory McIlroy had narrowly missed out on victory at the Hong Kong Golf Club in the last two years and though he started well this time he was never really in the hunt as the final round progressed.

The 21 year old bogeyed the first and though he recovered with four birdies over his next 12 holes, another dropped shot on the par four 14th left him with plenty to do in his remaining holes.

McIlroy birdied the 16th before making par on the last two holes to finish on 18 under, four shots behind Poulter in sixth.

Last year's winner Grégory Bourdy claimed a share of 11th after carding a 68 while Europe's Ryder Cup-winning Captain Colin Montgomerie shot a 69 to tie for 47th place.

Tiger's candid about dramatic changes in his life the past year

Nearly a year ago, Tiger Woods' world came crashing down on him -- literally. It was, in Woods' own words Thursday during an interview on ESPN radio, "The best thing that could've happened to me."

That was perhaps the most revealing, or at least telling, statement from Woods in the 25-minute interview, which Woods said he gave -- along with launching a Twitter account and writing a first-person account for Newsweek magazine -- in an effort to connect with the fans.

"That's been the biggest surprise of all is how supportive the fans have been," said Woods, who echoed similar words when he returned to golf at the Masters earlier this year.

"The only way [to rebuild my image] is to come to grips with who I am," he added. "I wasn't happy with who I was. I was doing things morally that inside I knew I shouldn't be doing."

Asked what about what he thinks he learned about himself in the past year, Woods added that he wasn't the person he used to be.

Asked if he's happier now, Woods said, "Infinitely so. I'm more clear about who I am and where I want to go."

Where Woods goes on the golf course in terms of whether or not he breaks Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships remains to be seen.

Woods, who has 14 career major championships, will play one more event this season, his upcoming Chevron World Challenge. If he doesn't win, it will mark the first year since 1995 that he has gone without a victory.

"Bits and pieces" is how Woods described how the swing changes he's been working on with new coach Sean Foley have been coming along.

"The fixes for the misses are a little different than the past," Woods added.

The main priority in Woods' life, however, appear to be his children.

In the Newsweek article, for example, he talked about the joy of bathing his son over hitting another bucket of golf balls in practice.

He wrote: "Slowly, I'm regaining the balance that I'd lost. My healing process is far from complete, but I am beginning to appreciate things I had overlooked before. I'm learning that some victories can mean smiles, not trophies, and that life's most ordinary events can bring joy."

Thursday, Woods re-iterated that, saying his kids are his No. 1 priority and that every day he tries to teach them something, much the way his own late father, Earl, did with him.

Woods added that he'll also tell his children the "absolute truth" when it comes time to explaining the events of the past year.

Said Woods: "My dad always said that love is a given, but trust and respect are earned."

That's exactly what Woods is hoping to continue to earn himself.

Race to Dubai promises to be "Greatest show on Earth"

While World Number One Lee Westwood and the cream of The European Tour will battle it out for the richest prize of the year, spectators at next week’s Dubai World Championship presented by DP World are in for a four-day feast of sporting and social attractions.

Organisers have confirmed a wealth of both entertainment and dining options to ensure spectators have a variety of off-course attractions as the Tour’s top 60 players go head-to-head in the $7.5 million tournament.

As well as golfing lessons, trick shot demonstrations, children’s golf and live musical entertainment, a wide selection of Food & Beverage outlets around the Greg Norman-designed course will offer everything from snacks and soft drinks to fish and chips and full meals.

“This is the grand finale of the golfing calendar and a celebration of what has been an historic year for the European Tour with three Major winners and a victory for Europe in The Ryder Cup,” said Dubai World Championship director Colin Smith.

“We believe we have something for everyone during the four days of the tournament. With season tickets free of charge we expect a record number of spectators as well as an all-star cast of players, while our musical events in the Championship Village will ensure the party goes on long after the close of play each day.”

Outside of the Championship Village, one of the most popular places for spectators is sure to be a temporary version of Dubai’s popular watering hole Left Bank, which allows a great vantage point for the signature par three 17th hole with the laid back lounge creating its own unique golfing atmosphere.

To be staged from Thursday to Sunday (November 25-28), the tournament will also offer free golf tuition courtesy of the Emirates Golf Federation. Three local pros from the UAE PGA will be on hand from 9am to 4pm each day to provide complimentary ten minute lessons with prior booking.

Former Tour pro David Edwards, who kept the crowds enthralled with his extraordinary array of trick shots at The Ryder Cup, is also making a bee line for the Earth course. A former European Tour pro, Edwards currently holds the world record for his famous Scissor Hands shots - 310 balls in just three minutes – and will be demonstrating his trick shot talents on the driving range every day (12.45pm and 3.00pm) during the Dubai World Championship.

Also making sure the party goes with a swing will be a number of live music acts including U2 tribute band Vertigo (November 25), Suburban Voodoo (November 26 and 28), Rich and Famous (November 27) and DJ Gail Cherelle. Add in SNAG (Starting New At Golf) for younger fans as well as the Flying Elephant Children’s Zone and it is clear there will be something for all the family at the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.

Season tickets can be downloaded free of charge from the official website (www.dubaiworldchampionship.com), while tickets are also available at Dubai branches of MMI and Costa as well as from Dubai’s golf clubs.

In addition to DP World – Presenting Sponsor for the second year in succession – the Dubai World Championship is supported by Premium Partners Rolex, Emirates and BMW; Sponsors Atlantis, CNN, The National and Polo/Ralph Lauren; and Event Supporters Dubai Duty Free, MMI, TNT and Toshiba.

Ian Poulter shoots 60 in Hong Kong

England's Ian Poulter shot a record-breaking 10-under-par 60 to take the lead at the Hong Kong Open at Fanling. The world number 14 rattled off 10 birdies in a sizzling performance for a 13-under-par two-day total of 127.

After the round a surprisingly downbeat Poulter said he had "mixed emotions" about his achievement, adding he was "happy but slightly disappointed" he did not score even lower after an excellent start.

"It's one of those golf courses where if you get a decent start you really feel you can shoot a low number. Five under on the front nine was a great score. "I had five birdies in a row from the seventh and as soon as that happened I kind of felt there's plenty of chances coming in, there's a lot of short irons to finish."

The Englishman had gone bogey-free on the first day but could only pick up three birdies to leave him five short of overnight leader Mark Brown. But he turned on the style to move ahead of Anthony Kang, who earlier shot a course-record-equalling nine-under 61.

Kang delighted the spectators with nine birdies for a two-day total of 12-under-par 128. Rory McIlroy was making strides up the leaderboard with the Northern Irishman 11 under through 13 holes before a double-bogey left him in fourth place, two shots off the lead.

India's Jeev Milkha Singh kept up his title bid with a 67 to lie in joint fourth in a pack including McIlroy, Italian Matteo Manassero, Ulsterman Graeme McDowell and Thai Thongchai Jaidee.

Teenager slinger Manassero continues quick rise to the top

Italian teenager Matteo Manassero's precocious rise to the top echelon of world golf took another step Friday when he shot an impressive seven-under 63 at the Hong Kong Open.

The 17-year-old holed his putts impressively around the Fanling course to push himself into title contention against an impressive field at the joint European and Asian Tour event.

"The first day was three under, today was seven under, probably just because of the putts, because the game was very similar perfect and pretty steady," Manassero said. "I'm very happy with this round. That puts me in contention for the weekend and that's actually what I wanted."

Manassero became the youngest-ever winner on the European Tour last month when he took out his first professional title at the Castello Masters.

Manassero exudes the confidence of youth, putting that down to a blend of confidence and low expectations.

"I don't expect too much out of me, so I don't fear a lot on the golf course," Manassero said.

"I'm confident, I'm playing good golf. I got my schedule playing for next year, everything already done. I just need to go and play."

That confidence is leavened with the lessons learnt from his family, to not let success go to his head — not an easy task after beating some of the world's top pros while still a child.

"Just after the win, it's difficult. You think you're very good. Just after the win, you're up in the sky," Manassero said.

"You always try to keep your feet down in the ground, and that's always been my family, that gave me education and educated me that way, which is very important for me, for this life, everybody."

Life as a professional has increased the time Manassero spends away from friends and family in Italy but, after sampling the life of a touring player while still an amateur, he is adapting to the demands of playing on tour.

"It's part of the life," he said. "You have to travel, say, 25 events per year, plus some extra weeks. So we travel 30 weeks; more traveling than staying home.

"I traveled a little bit as an amateur, which was important, was a good experience. And now, one thing is that everybody takes care of everything for us, which is very important."

-Associated Press