Haney opens up about disfunctional relationship with Tiger

Hank Haney seems to be moving on since his public split with Tiger Woods. But that doesn't mean Haney, who spent six years as Woods' coach, is through talking about the relationship. In the August issue of Golf Digest, he talks about his "dysfunctional" pairing with the golfing great.

Some excerpts from Haney who told football star Doug Flutie, who wandered by during the interview, that the two best days of his career were "when Tiger asked me to help him and the day I resigned."

Golf Digest: Why did you resign? Was it frustration? Pressure? Criticism?

Hank Haney: Start with all of the above, and keep going. There are so many reasons that add up to the fact it was time to leave.

...Golf Digest: Did the revelations about Tiger factor into your decision?

Hank Haney: If not for the accident, maybe he'd still be playing well, and maybe I would have stayed on a little longer. But there's still that life span, and the life span was running out.

...Golf Digest: It sounds like it became dysfunctional.

Hank Haney: It didn't get dysfunctional; it always was dysfunctional.

...Golf Digest: Is it possible that Tiger learned all there was to learn from you?

Hank Haney: That could be. I did feel it was going to be harder for Tiger to get better if he didn't commit to a couple things I thought -- and still think -- are important at this stage. Were there things I wanted him to commit to? Yes. Was it hard for me to get him to commit to those things? Yes.

...Golf Digest: How knowledgeable is Tiger about the golf swing?

Hank Haney: The most knowledgeable I've ever been around. I've taught 200 pros from tours around the world, and nobody came close to knowing what Tiger knows.

...Golf Digest: It's been said that Tiger views any association with him as helping that person out. Do you go along with that?

Hank Haney: You said it, I didn't.

Tiger no longer host of the AT&T, but is still playing this week

The most obvious change at the AT&T National is moving to Aronimink Golf Club, a tree-lined classic in the Philadelphia suburbs that will host the tournament the next two years as Congressional prepares for a U.S. Open.

Not so obvious is the role Tiger Woods is playing this week.

He is still the defending champion. He is no longer the host.

AT&T was the second corporate sponsor to end its endorsement deal with the world's No. 1 player, although not entirely. It agreed to remain as title sponsor of the tournament, which Woods has hosted since it began in 2007. And the net proceeds continue to benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation, which is building a second learning centre in the United States.

It's an awkward relationship.

Woods no longer carries the AT&T logo on his golf bag, and he is not likely to return to AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. But he doesn't look at this event any differently than when he was handing out the trophy.

“I'll still be part of the event and working hard behind the scenes as always,” Woods said. “This is a great event for our foundation. We're very lucky and very excited that AT&T wanted to still be a part of this event.”

The tournament stays. His endorsement ends.

“If you're going to have one over the other, you choose it this way,” Woods said.

He also dismissed any notion that Woods and his caddie, Steve Williams, are at odds. There was speculation in some corners after the U.S. Open that Woods was unhappy with his caddie when he said, “We made three mental mistakes. The only thing it cost us was a chance to win the U.S. Open.”

Woods and Williams have worked together since 1999, with the most famous blowup coming in the final round of the 2003 Masters when Williams recommended a driver off the par-4 third hole. Woods hit into the trees, had to play a left-handed shot to the fairway and the two rarely spoke the rest of the day.

“There's no tension there, not at all,” Woods said. “You guys are reading way too much into it. I was asked what happened out there, and I made three mental mistakes — three mistakes I don't normally make. Do Stevie and I make mistakes on the golf course? Of course we do. We're not perfect. We made mistakes at the wrong time. It happens.

“Hopefully, that won't happen this week and we can win an event.”

This could be a big week toward deciphering whether Woods is close to winning again. He tied for fourth in the Masters, his first start in five months while coping with a sex scandal, then followed that up by going consecutive weeks without earning a check.

He tied for fourth at the U.S. Open, where he started the final round at 1-under 212 and closed with a 75 to finish four shots behind. But it was the back-nine 31 on Saturday, which put him into contention, that gave Woods hope.

“That was a nice step in the right direction, because I would play two or three good holes, then hit a bad shot and it would take the air out of what I had built,” Woods said. “During that stretch, I put together about 12 really good holes, and it's something I hadn't done all year. Granted, the amount of rounds I've played so far this year is about what I normally play through March.

“I'm starting to head in the right direction.”

He headed out to the practice range and to see the Aronimink for the first time. When he was at the course in May, it was the day after he withdrew from The Players Championship with a sore neck.

The field is slightly better than a year ago. It includes Jim Furyk, Aronimink member Sean O'Hair, Dustin Johnson, Vijay Singh, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler, Robert Allenby and Scott Verplank.

Several others are in Europe to fulfil membership requirements — seven asked for conflicting-event releases — and tournament officials are finding that the Fourth of July date is not what it used to be.

Even so, it has Woods, who remains a star attraction. Even for a Tuesday, thousands of fans were pressed up against the iron fence around the driving range waiting for him to arrive. Hundreds of kids want his autograph, and Woods was asked if takes seriously his position as a role model given his marital turmoil.

“I certainly have made mistakes, no doubt about that,” Woods said. “I take full ownership of them, and I think what a lot of kids can learn from that is that you're not always going to go through life perfect. No one does. When you make a mistake, step up to the plate and take ownership of it.”

Ontario man dies after falling from golf cart

A man has died of head injuries after falling off a golf cart at the Ontario resort where the G8 summit was held.

Provincial police were called Sunday afternoon — one day after the summit ended — after an employee of Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ont., fell from the back of the cart.

Police say four staff members were on the cart, two in seats and the other two hanging onto the rear where golf bags are usually placed.

The workers were shuttling carts when the one they were on did an abrupt turn and 69-year-old Gerald Lepage of Huntsville fell off.

He died Monday in a Toronto hospital.

Deerhurst hosted the G8 leaders on Friday and Saturday.

Tiger brings female guest to daughter's birthday party

Tiger Woods and his estranged wife Elin Nordegren have got together for the first time in months to throw another birthday party for their daughter Sam, RadarOnline reports.

Woods had broken his promise and missed Sam's birthday party on June 18 when she turned three as he was playing in the US Open.

Woods then promised not to miss anymore of his children's birthdays when he returned to golf and he and Nordegren threw another party for Sam and for the first time in months spent hours together in the same place.

But all wasn't perfect between Woods and Nordegren. The party was scheduled to start at 4pm on Saturday and last about two hours. Woods didn't show up until 4:55pm and he brought his office manager Karen and another woman with him. Nordegren was understandably very angry.

"But they put aside their differences for the good of their daughter when a big cake rolled in," a source told RadarOnline.

"Clearly this was Tiger trying to make it up to Sam. He wasn't there on her birthday so he wanted to have a party for her and be there. Elin went along with it. Despite their differences they want to do what is best for their children.

"Woods and Nordegren are about to sign a divorce settlement. She will receive approximately $750 million.

Woods and Nordegren spending hours together is a rare event. Nordegren lives in a rented house approximately 1.5km away from Woods and has very little to do with him. Nannies shuttle the children between parents.

"Elin has taken several trips away from Tiger and is getting on with life, without him," said a source. "They barely talk. It's amazing that they spent time together - even at a birthday party."

Bomber Bubba Watson finally a winner on PGA Tour

Recap of Bubba's win @ the Traveler's

People can change. Bubba Watson is proof of that. When the game's resident Rain Man first arrived on the PGA TOUR, he knew he was good enough to win. Hell, he expected it.

It didn't matter that he honed his game as a kid by hitting wiffle balls off the dirt driveway at his house in the nowhere town of Bagdad (population 1,490) in the Florida panhandle. Or that he still has never received a formal lesson. Or that he wore pinks socks during his high school matches. Or that he plays with a pink shaft in his driver. Or that he suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder.

"My problem was 'Why can't I win? Why can't I do this?' I don't ever envy anybody else, but I did a couple of years ago and it was wrong for me to do that," said Watson, whom many considered aloof if not arrogant when he first turned pro.

"My caddie stayed with me for four years even though I kept getting mad and pissy on the golf course. You never deserve anything. If it's in the will, it's in the will."

Sunday, it was in the tears with Watson surviving a sudden-death playoff with Corey Pavin and Scott Verplank at the Travelers Championship.

As much of a basher of the ball as Watson, who leads the TOUR in driving distance, is, it turns out he's also a big softy. He cried during his wedding ceremony, still gets weepy at church and at TPC River Highlands was flat out bawling.

After his winning par putt on the second extra hole dropped, Watson's head collapsed into the arms of his wife, Angie. They told one another how much they loved each other and Angie whispered in his ear, "To God be all the glory."

The glory on this day, however, belonged solely to Watson. He began the day six strokes back and managed only a 4-under 66 in the final round. But he got plenty of help, mostly from Justin Rose, who had an epic collapse with a 75 that gave one of the game's shortest hitters (Pavin) and its longest (Watson) an opportunity along with Verplank.

"I'm a Christian first and golf just happens to be how I support my family," Watson said. "The game has given me a lot. It lets me support my mom and dad, lets me support the junior tournaments I put on. It's something I do for a living, but I don't ever question why I don't win.

You don't have to be religious to appreciate Watson's internal and external struggles. His dad has had rheumatoid arthritis for almost 20 years and last October was diagnosed with lung cancer. His wife was also told she had a brain tumor over Christmas -- they found out in May it was only an enlarged pituitary gland.

"My dad taught me everything I know. It's not very much, but it's all I know. He would agree with that," said Watson, whose tear ducts were now in full-on Niagara Falls mode. "He took me to the golf course when I was 6 years old and told me he was going to be in the woods looking for his ball, so just take this 9-iron and beat it down the fairway.

"Now look at me after beating a 9-iron on the fairway coming from Bagdad, Florida. I never dreamed this."

Lots of people had, though. Angie's cell phone had 67 text messages before the tear-fest was even over, and Bubba's was buzzing in his pocket the entire time. Among the well wishes were likely ones from Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum. They came from the same Milton (Fla.) High School team that Watson did. Now Watson had a victory, too.

"Truthfully, I never doubt myself," Watson said. "I have the ability, but maybe am not a strong enough mind to keep going because I'm emotional."

When Watson settled in over his 3-footer to win, though, he had to keep those emotions in check. That was easier said than done.

"That putt I made for par to win, I don't remember taking the putter back," Watson said. "My head's going a thousand miles an hour. I couldn't take a breath.

"I just remember my arms went one way and my arms went the other way and somehow it went straight in the hole."

When it did, Watson got what he deserved.

Cristie Kerr put it in cruise control to win LPGA Championship

Cristie Kerr became the first American to top the women's world rankings, following her fourth round six-under 66 to win the LPGA Championship by 12 strokes.

Kerr finished with a 19-under 269 to win her 14th career tournament and second major after the 2007 US Women's Open.

Kerr led wire-to-wire, opening with rounds of 68, 66 and 69.

"It's a dream performance," Kerr said. "It's like you wake up or you dream - I can't even speak right now. Winning by two or three is great, but winning by 12 shots is ridiculous. It's obscene."

Kerr started the fourth round with an eight-shot lead then parred her first six holes before rolling in birdies on three of her next four holes.

Kerr earned 337,500 dollars in first-place prize money and is projected to take over top spot in the world ahead of Japan's Ai Miyazato when the rankings are released Monday.

Miyazato fired a 66 to finish five under in a tie for third with South Korea's Shin Jiyai (71). South Korea's Kim Song-Hee (69) was second. Miyazato is a four-time winner on the LPGA tour this season.

Kerr broke the tournament record for victory margin of 11 set by Betsy King in 1992 and matched the second-biggest victory in a major.

"I didn't limit myself," Kerr said. "I wanted to see how far I could take it. And I took it pretty far. I don't think I could've played better."

Miyazato was also impressed with Kerr's performance.

"That's almost too good," Miyazato said. "She's just amazing. I played really good, too, but she is just better than me."

Kerr intends to skip the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Ohio next weekend to rest up for the US Women's Open on July 8.

After winning this weekend, Kerr knows the pressure will be more intense.

"I'm there now, but I have to prove that I deserve to be there," Kerr said. "So there is still a lot of work ahead. But it feels awfully good right now."

Mountain Lion plays through in Montana

Golfers at a western Montana golf course faced a hazard with real teeth — and claws — when a mountain lion decided to play through. Golfers said they spotted the elusive predator while teeing off at Valley View Golf Club Friday morning in Bozeman.

Bozeman animal control officer Kathy Middleton said the lion was first sighted near Aspen Pointe senior living center before other callers later saw it at the golf course.

Joe Knarr with Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said the agency has been receiving calls about lions all through the south of town. He said mountain lions sightings are common in the area, though there have been more reports this year than previous years.

Middleton said the lion spotted Friday most likely was just passing through.

The LPGA is looking for a star to fill the void

One thing is certain, no matter what transpires as the LPGA Championship, a major, concludes this weekend: Not many people beyond the Rochester, N.Y. area, where the tournament is being played, will be talking about it.

It's sad but true that the LPGA has little traction with golf fans, especially in North America. The LPGA Championship started in 1955 and is the second-oldest tournament in women's golf, after the U.S. Women's Open. And, strictly speaking, it's a USGA event and not an LPGA tournament, although it counts as one.

The LPGA needs a superstar, one with whom fans can identify. Annika Sorenstam retired at the end of 2008 and Lorena Ochoa took early retirement this year. They were legitimate superstars. Nobody has yet stepped up to fill the void they left.

Well, that's not entirely true. Ai Miyazoto has won four LPGA tournaments this year, including last week's ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, N.J. She's No. 1 on the Rolex World Rankings. Who knew?

Then there's Jiyai Shin. She won the 2008 Women's British Open and finished third in the LPGA Championship last year while winning two other tournaments. She spoke beautifully at the Golf Writers Association of America's dinner during this year's Masters, where she accepted its award as Player of the Year. Shin referred to her small stature but that she had big dreams -”On the golf course, I feel very tall”- and that she hoped her accomplishments would encourage young golfers everywhere.

Miyazoto, 25, and Shin, 22, are exceptionally talented players. Miyazoto is Japanese and Shin is Korean. The LPGA has become a global tour, and Asian players especially have been on the ascendancy. But language barriers and a general reluctance on the part of American fans to embrace Asian players have contributed to the “missing superstar” syndrome.

The U.S. player Cristie Kerr pointed to the problem this week when she said there are “maybe five or six [Americans] that can really contend every week to win.” She added that some 40 Asians can contend each week.

Asked if she felt it was important for a player with whom “masses of people can identify with” to step up, Kerr answered, “I think it's very important.”

Kerr's fellow American Paula Creamer agreed. “I hope I'm a face for American golf,” she said. Creamer, 23, finished seventh last week after four months off due to hand surgery.

Who is that player that the LPGA needs? Is she on the LPGA Tour now? Might she turn out to be Stacy Lewis? Lewis, 25, was the game's top amateur before she turned pro in 2008. She'd lived seven years in a back brace because of extreme scoliosis, for which she eventually had surgery. She shot four-under-par 68 in the first round of the LPGA Championship. Lewis is gifted and she's fiery.

Meanwhile, Michelle Wie has been the LPGA's big hope. Wie, 20, was the only U.S. player to go undefeated when the American team beat the Europeans in last August's Solheim Cup. She won her first LPGA event in November. Wie, however, has only three top-10 finishes in nine tournaments this year. She's 16th on the money list. So far she's in the “promise unfulfilled” category.

The bottom line is that somebody has to emerge, and it would be best for the LPGA Tour if that were an American player.

“The women, although granted, a world tour, with world class talent, they don't have enough U.S. players at the top,” Oakville, Ont.'s Sandra Post wrote in an e-mail. Post won the 1968 LPGA Championship when she was only 20 and won seven more LPGA events. No Canadian has approached her record. She's now a highly-regarded instructor.

“They need Wie to make a move, Creamer to get well, Kerr and [Angela] Stanford (a five-time LPGA winner) to contend,” Post said. “Many people do not subscribe to the Golf Channel, therefore are not able to watch the women play.”

It's somehow telling that, besides Wie, Nancy Lopez is the most recognizable name in the LPGA Championship. Lopez won the LPGA in 1978, 1985 and 1989. She won 48 LPGA events. Her sunny disposition allied to her fierce competitiveness brought attention to the LPGA.

The LPGA needs another Nancy Lopez, not the current one, who is 53 and shot 87 Thursday, but somebody else with her personality and talent. For the moment, that golfer is missing.

-The Globe and Mail

Pavin wants Tiger on Ryder Cup team

One of the reasons Corey Pavin is playing at the Travelers Championship is to keep in contact with potential Ryder Cup team members. Though the captain is admittedly early in the process of formulating who he thinks will and won’t make the team, the process has begun.

“Obviously Phil [Mickelson] is going to be on the team,” Pavin said. “I’m guessing that Jim [Furyk] and A.K. are probably on the team as well.

“I’ve liked the way it’s shaping up, the way the first 20 guys are. There’s people I want to see there. Part of watching the top eight is trying to figure out who’s not going to be in the top eight. Ideas are forming, but they’re small ideas at the moment.”

One of those who just climbed into that top eight is Tiger Woods, who is seventh in the Ryder Cup standings after his tie for fourth at the U.S. Open.

“I think he’s going to make the team on points and I know he wants to,” Pavin said. “I want him to be on the team. He’s the best player in the world.”

As for how Pavin will go about deciding who his four captains picks will be, he said that he’ll get “plenty of input” from his four assistant captains and the top eight players on the team.

Seve Ballesteros cancels plan to play the British Open @ St. Andrews

Spanish golf legend Severiano Ballesteros, who is still recovering from brain surgery in 2008, will not take part in the British Open on the advice of his doctors, he said on his website.

Doctors who examined him in Madrid on Wednesday said his condition was satisfactory but advised him to avoid "any undue stress or potentially emotional situations.

"It is for this reason that they have advised him against travelling to St Andrews" in Scotland to take part in the British Open next month.

"I very much wanted to be at The British Open in St Andrews next month to personally thank all the golf fans and friends who have given me their support," Ballesteros was quoted as saying on the site, www.seveballesteros.com.

"I am aware that there might be people who have been preparing their trip to encourage and cheer me up. Hence, I do not want to disappoint anyone at the last minute and after listening to the doctors' advice I have taken the difficult decision not to travel to St Andrews."

Ballesteros, 53, underwent four operations in 2008 to remove a brain tumour, before undergoing chemotherapy sessions.

In July last year, he said he wanted to compete again in the British Open in 2010, taking as an example the American cyclist Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven times after surviving testicular cancer.

Regarded as one of golf's all-time greats, Ballesteros won five majors during his stellar career.

He won the British Open in 1979, 1984 and 1988 and became the first European to win the Augusta Masters in 1980, an achievement he repeated in 1983.

Ballesteros was also an influential figure in the Ryder Cup, winning 20 points from 37 matches and captaining Europe to victory over the United States at Valderrama in 1997.

-ATP

Garcia struggles to a 5-over 77 @ the BMW International

Bradley Dredge of Wales shot an 8-under 64 to set the early pace in the opening round of the BMW International Open on Thursday.

The 36-year-old Dredge carded six birdies and an eagle to take a one-shot lead over Thailand's Chapchai Nirat, who had seven birdies of his own in a 65.

Among the morning starters chasing Dredge and Nirat were Simon Thornton from Northern Ireland and Sweden's Peter Hanson, who both shot 5-under 67s.

Dredge is bidding to make a late run into Europe's Ryder Cup team to take on the United States in his native Wales in October. But he was loathe to get too excited about his performance -- in recent weeks, he has twice shot 67 and also a 66 in the opening rounds of three tournaments in Europe and then failed to produce a top-10 finish over the weekends.

"What I need to find now is greater consistency," Dredge said. "It's a matter of just trying to make my poorer rounds better. When I play well, I play well, but I have got to start grinding out a good score on poor days.

"I needed to have a good start here because the way the course is playing, to only start with 2 under could have put me out of contention completely. Now it's a case of trying to keep it going over four rounds."

But it was not a good start for two of the biggest names in the field chasing Sunday's $410,000 winners' cheque.

South Africa's Ernie Els, who finished third in the US Open last Sunday, was on 4 under through 14 holes, having started from the 10th tee.

However, at the ninth hole, his last of the day, he drove into a bunker and needed two shots to recover on his way to a bogey six. He signed for a 2-under 70.

" I think tiredness after the journey from America may have come into it," said Els, who is planning a two-week break from the game before next month's British Open at St. Andrews.

The ninth hole proved even more troublesome for his playing partner Sergio Garcia, who is currently lying in 18th in the Ryder Cup qualifying standings and is struggling to extend his run of five straight appearances at the event, which this year takes place at Celtic Manor.

The Spaniard drove into trees and failed to find the fairway with his first two recovery attempts. After running up a double bogey seven, he signed for a 5-over 77.

Mike Wier makes mad bank at Telus Skins Game

On one pitch of fate hung $270,000 at Bear Mountain Golf Resort.

Time seemed to stand still for the 5,300 fans as Mike Weir’s final shot sailed through the air Tuesday afternoon.

When it landed three feet from the pin, the sudden hush was cracked by a thunderous roar of approval.

Organizers couldn’t have scripted it better for the home-country favourite as the 2010 Telus World Skins Game went to an extra-hole, 125-yard closest-to-the-pin pitch-off. PGA Tour veteran and 2003 Masters champion Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., planted his shot three feet from the pin to win the $270,000 that was on the line.

Weir won 12 skins with the shot. Three skins were carried over from the first day, Monday, and all nine skins from Tuesday carried over to the extra hole.

PGA Tour player Camilo Villegas came closest to upending Weir on the extra hole, landing his pitch less than five feet from the pin. The result was in doubt until the players came to the green to see the shots and the Colombian Villegas picked up his ball, saying Weir was about a foot-and-a-half closer.

“It was nice to hit a good shot at the right time. That’s what Skins play is about,” said Weir, who next plays in the British Open.

“It was tough to make birdies today because of the tough pin placements.”

Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa finished with $75,000 in the $360,000 event, all won on Monday. Ian Poulter of England, 2010 Accenture World Match Play champion, finished with $15,000, also from Monday.

Villegas and former PGA Tour star and Masters champion Fred Couples of the U.S., the latter known as the King of Skins for his past success in the format with 68 skins and $1.2 million in earnings in 10 previous Telus World Skins Games, both came away with no money this year.

But for one pitch shot, Weir may also have finished with a blank sheet.

Instead, he is $270,000 richer because of one shot.

“I’ve had a bit of a drought lately in this (annual) event, so I was glad to get in the money this time,” said Weir.

Asked by reporters if the pitch-off reminded him of side-bet type scenarios he might have played with friends and golfers when younger, Weir said there wasn’t $270,000 riding on those shots.

“Approaching that final shot, I had to dial in a (special) feeling and put the right something on it,” he said.

It was a day of close calls on the greens.

Weir caught the lip of the 17th hole and missed a five-foot putt that would have won that hole and the $245,000 worth of skins that had built up to that point.

“It was that kind of day,” said Weir. “It was tough to separate yourself (from the group).”

Telus donated $1 million for the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children, which is directing Skins Game proceeds to its Jeneece Place project which will provide a place to stay and support near Victoria General Hospital for up-Island families of sick children.

Bear Mountain’s extra hole was used for a hole-in-one competition. If any of the five golfers had aced that hole, Telus would have donated an extra $1 million to Jeneece Place. Weir almost did, rolling his shot to within eight inches of the ace.

“A part of me was rooting for (Weir) and Jeneece Place and a part of me was panicking,” chuckled Joe Natale, chief commercial officer for Telus.

-Vancouver Sun

Dustin Johnson's caddie explains how it all unraveled on Sunday @ the US Open

Dustin Johnson had just birdied Nos. 17 and 18 at Pebble Beach Golf Links to nail down a third-round 66 that gave him a three-shot lead going into Sunday at the U.S. Open.
Johnson's round squashed all the buzz generated two hours earlier by Tiger Woods, who also shot 66, but now trailed by five strokes.

In a press conference Saturday night, the media was forced to conjure up hypotheticals in hopes of manufacturing intrigue for a final round that appeared to be another Johnson coronation at Pebble Beach.

After all, he had won the two previous AT&Ts, and whatever footnotes had been applied to those titles — rain-shortened last year, messy closing 74 this year — Johnson was about to validate them with a major at Pebble Beach.

But in the interest of storylines, Johnson was asked this bizarre question: "When your game goes off the rails, where does it look ugly, or how does it look?"

The startlingly blunt question unfortunately foreshadowed Johnson's Gil Morgan-esque final round.

Johnson shot an 11-over 82 — the highest closing score by a third-round U.S. Open leader since 1911. (Morgan only shot an 81 in the final round of the wind-ravaged '92 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.)

Johnson hit just eight greens, after finding no fewer than 13 the previous three rounds.

And Johnson had 35 putts, to drop into a tie for 76th in putting for the week.

Johnson's shots buried into tall fescue, hid from gallery-wide manhunts, and tumbled off cliffs.

His nightmare finally ended when he three-putted for par on the 72nd hole, while just trying to get out of the way for Graeme McDowell, who had two putts from 25 feet for the win.
Johnson slid out from the celebration as stealthily as he could after hanging onto a tie for eighth place at 5-over. When ESPN asked Johnson, who came into the final round at 6-under, if he would have trouble sleeping, he replied, "Nah, I'm done with it now. I'm going to get some food and get on my airplane and get home."

Is that still true?

"I know that Dustin feels the same way that I do," said Johnson's caddie Bobby Brown from his home in La Quinta on Tuesday afternoon. "Obviously, Sunday was very hard to go through, but I don't know how to explain it. We're not devastated. We're just disappointed. It's hard to explain the vibe that's going on, on the golf course when things aren't going good. But you just keep your head down and keep moving forward. You try not to show too much emotion. You keep waiting for things to turn around."

While the NBC cameras quickly lost interest in Johnson after he went 7-over the first seven holes, Brown still thought they were in it going into the back nine. Johnson played the treacherous Cliffs of Doom stretch (Nos. 8-10) in even par, and he was still just 1-over for the championship, and three behind McDowell.

"We did walk off No. 10 green, and we kind of looked at each other, and I mentioned to him, 'Dude, things are going down this way. We've got to make a putt on No. 18, and even par is probably going to win this golf tournament.' We were right where we needed to be," said Brown who was a full-time caddie for three years at Pebble Beach. "If you would have backed up and said we started the day and 3- or 4-over and we were in that position to be only two back or three back at that time, it would have been a whole different mind frame."

Johnson entered the final round at 6-under for the championship, and three ahead of McDowell. When asked if they had a target score in mind for the day, Brown replied, "You know what our target score was? 3-iron in the middle of the first fairway."

Johnson made par on the first, and he striped his drive down the fairway on No. 2. Johnson had just a pitching wedge into the 502-yard par 4, but he flared his approach into the fescue above the right greenside bunker.

From there, Johnson hit the shot that will forever depict his disastrous final round in highlight packages, chopping out of the fescue left-handed and moving his ball five feet. The shot got him into play, but then Johnson flubbed his next chip, swinging right under it and catching it off the hosel.

"I was a little bit shocked to see him go at that thing left-handed, because the first thing I thought he was going to do was take an unplayable, or chip it back into the bunker," Brown said. "It all happened so fast. I was about ready to say something, and he kind of told me to get out of the way and said, 'I got this.' At that point, you kind of get out of the way. Maybe next time I won't get out of the way. I'm not sure."

Johnson's third chip rolled up to 5 feet, but he missed the putt, taking a triple-bogey and completely erasing his three-shot lead.

The gaffe was compounded on the next hole, when Johnson roped his tee shot left into trees. While Woods did the same thing just a group ahead and found his tee shot, Johnson couldn't, forcing him to rehit. Less than a minute after the search had been called, Johnson's ball was found, but it was too late.

"The drive on No. 3, for three years we've been doing that," said Brown about their strategy of cutting off the dogleg by blasting over trees on the left. "He just made a bad swing at the wrong time."

Johnson scrambled for a par on his second ball to make a double-bogey and drop to 1-under for the championship. But he then pushed a 3-wood over the cliff on the drivable fourth hole, which he had eagled the day before after hitting the green with a 3-iron. Johnson eventually saved a bogey.

But the hushed crowds throughout the course still gave them hope.

"With what happened to Dustin on Nos. 2-3-4, I was very surprised that Tiger, Phil or Ernie hadn't done anything," Brown said. "I wasn't hearing any other cheers around the golf course. That kind of made me happy."

Johnson entered the back nine 1-over for the championship, but bogeyed Nos. 11 and 12.

But even as late as the 16th hole, Brown believed they still had a shot, sitting at 3-over for the championship and four strokes behind McDowell.

"Even after No. 15, we both looked at each other and were like, 'Hey dude, it's like this: birdie-birdie-birdie, we're probably going to win. Birdie-par-eagle, we're probably going to win,'" Brown said.

If Johnson could have dug down and done that, he would have finished at even par, good enough for an 18-hole playoff Monday morning.

"We missed so many short putts," Brown said. "For as bad as things were happening, if we had made any putts, it would have been a different story."

But nothing worked for Johnson on Sunday. He went on to bogey Nos. 16 and 17, giving him six on the day, or one more than the previous three rounds combined.

Johnson also failed to make a birdie after sinking 11 in the first three days, as well as an eagle.

"I think this is just going to be the best learning experience for both of us," Brown said. "We're going to take so much out of this, and be so much more prepared mentally the next time this happens. I've got a gut feeling that this is just Chapter 1 in the whole Dustin Johnson book. More of them will end better than this one. The support from the crowd for Dustin, you could just feel them, even when all hell was breaking loose."

And Johnson plans to see those crowds back at Pebble Beach next year for the AT&T.

"We're going to get it done again," Brown said. "We're looking forward to the three-peat."

-The Herald

Watson on his last major at Pebble

He chucked a ball into the ocean. Standing ovations greeted him. His son carried his bag. And a longtime family friend, nearing 90 years old, walked every hole in support.

Those moments added to 30 years of major-tournament memories at Pebble Beach Golf Links for Tom Watson, the oldest player in this weekend's U.S. Open at 60.

"There's a lot of sadness today," Watson said Sunday after his round of 76. "A lot of sadness. Yes, it's based on a lot of memories, and it very well may be the last time playing Pebble Beach in a championship of this caliber probably. Probably so."

The next major at Pebble Beach will be the 2019 Open, more than likely too far away for even Watson, who pounded drives on the front nine Sunday almost like he did when he won the Open here in 1982.

"It was overwhelming coming up the 18th hole," he said. "The memories started to hit me."

Even more memories flooded from Sandy Tatum, former USGA president and longtime friend of Watson. Tatum, who turns 90 next month, refused a cart and walked the rounds with Watson throughout the tournament.

"Have you seen how he's hitting the ball at the age of 60?" Tatum asked while walking down the side of the fairway at No. 15. "It's a real testament of his character."

Tatum, who lives in Palo Alto, was a friend of Watson's father when they were students at Stanford, and he took a liking to Tom as a boy mainly through their interest in golf.

"Watson and I bonded in many ways when it came to the game of golf," said Tatum, who fondly calls the golfer Watson instead of Tom. "I have a very close relationship with him." In fact, Tatum played as Watson's amateur partner at the then-Crosby and later AT&T golf tournament from 1977 to 1997.

When asked by a friend at No. 12 if he felt he was overdoing it by walking so much, Tatum said, "I don't know if I'm overdoing it because I'm so excited."

After the round, Watson and Tatum embraced, with Watson smiling and saying, "Sandy, it wasn't exactly the same result as 1982, was it?" Tatum responded: "I still loved every minute of it."

"It's wonderful to have Sandy here," Watson said. "We've done a lot of things together. We've helped kids learn to play the game of golf. It's always a pleasure to be in his company."

Watson's son, Michael, spent the tournament in Watson's company as his caddie.

"I'm just very appreciative," Michael Watson said. "The entire day was fun. He can still torch it."

Asked how much advice he gave his dad, Michael said, "If he asked for it, I gave it to him, but he knows how to navigate this course all right."

After holing out for par on 18, Watson celebrated the same way he did in 1982 by throwing his ball into the Pacific Ocean.

"Well, I threw the ball into the ocean after I won the U.S. Open in 1982," he said. "And what you do, you give the ocean its due because you never know when it's going to take it from you."

Michael Watson thought the gesture was fitting. "It's his last appearance at the Open, potentially," he said.

Knowing that, the crowds at every hole gave Watson his due throughout the round, screaming his name and rising to standing ovations, especially on the front nine, when he birdied No. 4 and No. 8 behind long, accurate drives and solid iron play.

"The crowd was just wonderful all day," Watson said. "They gave me nice ovations just about every hole."

Even though this will be his last major at Pebble Beach, Watson, who finished tied for 29th at the Open, has an ambitious schedule planned for the rest of the year: the British Open, the British Senior Open, the U.S. Senior Open and the Tradition.

Fans were especially appreciative of Watson, calling his name and rising to their feet even when Watson struggled on the back with five bogeys after playing the first nine even.

"It's Father's Day, with your son on the bag, and that's when it started hitting me," Watson said. "And the memories started hitting me again, and it's just a wonderful feeling to be here at Pebble Beach."

-Mercury News

How Graeme McDowell won the US Open

Graeme McDowell wins US Open; third round leader Dustin Johnson shots final round 82

Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland closed with a 3-over 74 to become the first European in 40 years to capture the U.S. Open.

McDowell seized control after a shocking collapse by Dustin Johnson, then failed to get flustered with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els lined up behind him.

McDowell's father was waiting to embrace him on the 18th green.

"You're something, kid," Kenny McDowell said.

McDowell, 30, wasn't perfect, but he was good enough to take the initiative and hold on for a one-shot victory over another surprise contender, Gregory Havret of France, who shot 72.

Johnson took a triple bogey on the second hole to lose all of his three-shot lead, and a double bogey on the next hole ended his hopes. Three of the biggest stars of this generation were right there, ready to continue the lineage of great champions at Pebble Beach, only to play far below their expectations.

McDowell made only one birdie -- an 8-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole -- and his final round was the highest score by a U.S. Open champion since Andy North in 1985.

"I can't believe I'm standing with this right now," McDowell said, posing with silver trophy. "It's a dream come true. I've been dreaming it all my life. Two putts to win the U.S. Open. Can't believe it happened."

Woods couldn't believe it, either.

Poised to end six months of bad publicity over a shattered personal life, he bogeyed five of his first 10 holes and took himself out of contention with a 75.

Els and Mickelson hung around a little longer, and both had their chances, but neither hit the kind of shots that win the U.S. Open.

Els had a brief share of the lead on the front nine but came undone along the coastal holes -- including one stretch of bogey-double bogey-bogey -- and never quite recovered. His hopes ended when he missed his target with a sand wedge on the par-5 14th and took bogey, then missed a four-foot birdie putt on the 15th.

He closed with a 73 to finish alone in third.

Mickelson, with another great chance to end a career of disappointment at the U.S. Open, holed a birdie putt from just off the green on the first hole, then didn't made another birdie the rest of the day. He also shot a 73 and tied for fourth with Woods, missing a chance to supplant Woods at No. 1 in the world.

Woods made only two birdies, but was more troubled by his mistakes.

"I made three mental mistakes," Woods said. "The only thing it cost us was a chance to win the U.S. Open."

Even so, nothing compares with what happened to Johnson. The 25-year-old American looked so unflappable all week, and came apart so quickly. On the final hole of a round he won't forget, Johnson missed a two-foot birdie putt and wound up with an 82. It was the highest closing round by a 54-hole leader in the U.S. Open since Fred McLeod shot 83 in 1911.

McDowell finished at even-par 284 and ended 40 years of questions about when a European would capture America's national championship. England's Tony Jacklin was the last one, in 1970 at Hazeltine.

McDowell had to work harder than he imagined.

Even under overcast skies and a stiff breeze, the course was firm and dangerous as ever. Davis Love III, with a 71, was the only player among the final five groups who matched par.

"I can't believe how difficult this golf course was," McDowell said. "No matter how good you play ... good golf got reward, and bad golf got punished really badly."

McDowell got into the U.S. Open by narrowly getting into the top 50 in the world at the deadline to avoid qualifying. He wound up with his first victory in America to go along with five European Tour victories, most recently the Wales Open last month at the home course for the Ryder Cup in October. He is sure to be part of the European team now, moving up to No. 13 in the world.

Only the best have won a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach -- Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tom Kite and Woods in 2000 by a record 15 shots. Lanny Wadkins won the only PGA Championship played on this fabled course by the sea.

McDowell might not have the pedigree, but he certainly had the game.

"To play steady and to withstand some tough holes the way Graeme did and to come out on top, he played some great golf," Mickelson said. "It was a wide-open tournament. Many guys had a chance. And it made for kind of an exciting U.S. Open, I thought."

With so few birdies to cheer on a day that was more about survival, the gentle waves lapping the shore almost made more noise than the gallery. McDowell had a three-shot lead as he walked down the 10th fairway, and from there it was a matter of hanging on.

"You go chasing and you'll make bogeys," McDowell said.

Mickelson gave it one last try when he fired at a dangerous pin on the right side of the 16th green. It came up just short and buried in the deep grass, and when the Masters champion heard the groan, he said to caddie Jim Mackay, "I took a chance, Bones. Didn't pay off."

Els played the par-3 17th in 5-over par for the week, including a bogey from the bunker on Sunday. Needing an eagle on the 18th to have any chance, he came up woefully short and to the right in a bunker.

None of this would have been possible without Johnson's collapse, which was simply spectacular.

He had a three-shot lead and was in the middle of the fairway at No. 2 with a wedge in his hand after a 343-yard drive. When he walked off the green at No. 4, he was three shots behind, a six-shot turnaround in three holes.

With 15 holes remaining in the final round, the U.S. Open was wide open, setting up perfectly for the three biggest names in golf -- Woods, Mickelson and Els -- to seize the moment.

To most everyone's surprise, none of them did.

Transcript of Mickelson's interview after final round @ US Open

Q. How difficult was it out there today?

PHIL MICKELSON: It was challenging in parts, but I thought that the first six or seven holes were good opportunities to make some birdies. The pins were in the right spots. It was front right on 6. It was back right on 4.

The spots where you could get up-and-down from the most around the greens, I thought 3 being in the back gave guys opportunities to get to that pin. I thought it played the first seven holes, some real opportunities to make up some ground.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, obviously Graeme played some incredible golf. I didn't see it I was in front trying to catch him, but I think what happened -- Dustin Johnson's one of the best players in the game, and this course he had a tough time with today and it happens.

It just happens as part of this tournament. But to play steady and to withstand some tough holes the way Graeme did and to come out on top, he played some great golf. I think there were a number of guys, though, that as soon as Dustin made a triple, a number of guys, it was a wide open tournament. Many guys had a chance. And it made for kind of an exciting U.S. Open, I thought.

Q. It seemed like everybody kind of retreated today.

PHIL MICKELSON: No, I wasn't really surprised by that. It just wasn't there. Other than the first six or seven holes. It just wasn't there. It got progressively tougher, the pins placements got progressively more difficult. And there just wasn't the opportunities really for birdie. 18 we're all hitting irons into. Did anybody birdie that hole? I mean that mattered near the end. That pin was so difficult to get the ball close that it just was a -- and it progressed.

But again the first seven holes, boy, you could have made up some ground.

Q. The leaders came back to everybody right off the bat. Everybody kind of came back to the pack. Was it frustrating not to be able to make a run at the lead?

PHIL MICKELSON: Sure, it was, because I had opportunities. I had a 15 foot eagle putt on 4. And I make par. That was frustrating. I have a 5-iron into 6, and I make par. That was frustrating. Let's let continuing those strokes go.

But at the turn, I was still under for my round. Even par for the tournament, which was the ultimately the winning score. All I had to do was shoot even par in the back, and I'm in a playoff.

I wasn't able to do it, obviously, it was tough.

Q. Do you feel content with the way you played this tournament?

PHIL MICKELSON: I thought that see for me, yeah I wanted to win, I'm glad that it wasn't a second, but...

(Laughter.)

Obviously I wanted to win. For me just to have that opportunity throughout the whole round, and I knew early on again when Dustin tripled the second hole it was a wide open tournament. I was within three shots of the lead and having that opportunity to win is what's so fun, and it's what's so exciting as a professional golfer, and I knew the entire round pretty much that if I could make some birdies or shoot under par, that I might be able to do it.

Q. What was it about Pebble Beach today that was so difficult that nobody was able to sink their teeth in and shoot a 66?

PHIL MICKELSON: I'm not really sure. I kind of know, but I would rather not get into it. It just doesn't sound good. I mean it was just tough. It was a tough day on the golf course.

Q. When you and Ernie were walking off the 15th tee you were still looking back at that 14th green a little bit. What were your thoughts on that green and how it played the whole week?

PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know if there was a camera behind me, I don't know if it got a good shot of my putt or not from a low angle, but it was interesting to see the route it took.

Q. It went left and then it was dead in the middle?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah.

Q. It just fell off.

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, it wiggled left the first few feet, and then it wiggled right and was going right in the middle and then it wiggled left, right at the hole and went over the edge and I thought that it -- I thought it was going to snake in there and it just didn't quite do it.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PHIL MICKELSON: No, not really we didn't talk about that.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PHIL MICKELSON: No. Yeah, when you're dealing with a U.S. Open you don't really -- I don't talk as much during a U.S. Open. It's just such a grind that you're so worried about just what you're doing that it's very difficult to think about other stuff.

Q. Considering who has won U.S. Opens here, Phil, are you surprised it's not a more remarkable name such as you or Tiger?

PHIL MICKELSON: I thought that Graeme was playing very well headed in. He had won his previous tournament. He's played very solid on a large stage a number times. So from a players point of view this wasn't a surprise, no.

Q. Can an argument be made that an Open Sunday is the wildest day in sports?

PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know. I haven't been thinking about that. Maybe, I don't know. It was an interesting day.

Transcript of Tiger's interview after final round @ US Open

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: I didn't know the wind was down. I thought it was more a crest and that brought the right side into play. I fired at the pin on 10. Steve said take dead aim right at it, and in my heart I said no. There was no chance. I have a sand wedge in my hand, and I can't play at that flag. You land the ball on the green. It will go past the flags.

I had a 10, 15-footer after that because I aimed at Greg's ball. I went against my own -- I know things and hit the ball to the right and then hit the wrong club on 12. My instincts were telling me to hit a five, play it to the right, just draw it in there, and we thought four would be better, hold it up against the wind and I made just an awful swing

Q. You put yourself yesterday in such a fantastic round and then not to be able to kind of get those cylinders going again. How disappointing is that?

TIGER WOODS: It's disappointing because I started off so poorly again and left myself above the hole. Every putt I missed was from above the hole. Yesterday I made everything because it was all below the the hole. These greens are bumpy enough where putts above the holes it's just pot luck.

But below the hole it takes a lot of that break out, and the putts I had today that were below the hole I made them.

Q. How much would you tribute that whatever struggles you had to simply not having enough rounds under your belt?

TIGER WOODS: It's not that. No, actually I hit the ball well enough yesterday, and I felt like I was warmed up well, and I kept leaving myself in the wrong spots. Every time was above the hole, I did hit one bad shot there at 3.

But other than a that I really didn't hit too many bad shots I just left myself until the wrong spots.

Q. 3-wood off 6?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, should have been a 2-iron down there. It's a 2-iron, 3-iron or are 2-iron, 2-iron. Doesn't need to hit 3-wood down there.

Q. Is that something that you have now put behind you?

TIGER WOODS: I feel like I can play now. Yeah. I can I got a fell for my game, my shape of my shots, what I'm working on, and the two Major Championships I finished I had a chance to win both of them. So it's not too bad.

Q. How did your swing feel today technically Tiger?

TIGER WOODS: It felt good. It felt good. And I just kept leaving myself in the worst spots. You take away those three mental errors right there and I'm right there. I'm tied for the lead.

Q. At the beginning was there any sense that you have to try to make something happen good because Dustin had the lead?

TIGER WOODS: No.

Q. To start the day?

TIGER WOODS: No, no. Our game plan was just if we shot under par for the day we would probably win. The golf course was playing too hard, too fast, and you can get away from you pretty quickly out there.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: No. Not at all because you can do that around this place. Just because you're playing well it doesn't mean that you're -- it can't happen to you that it can't happen to you. And this golf course it beats you into being aggressive, and Mike set up the golf course really well that way. Where you could be very aggressive.

But then again if you miss it on the wrong side, I mean, we had what, 9 yards, whatever it is, on 7, and you can't fire at a flag. And if you do you land the ball on the green you know it's going to be in the water or in the rough back there and I mean in the bunker it's not going to stay on the green. And that's the plan have you to have here.

Q. What did you think of the way Havret played?

TIGER WOODS: He played beautifully today. He played beautifully. He did everything he needed to do to win the championship. He hung in there. He grinded. He was placing the ball in the correct spots. When he did miss he missed in a great spot. He left himself with all the green to work with. You look at the miss he made on 15 today, that was a beautiful play, just hit it way left, and so he had an angle to pitch back up, great up-and-down.

Q. How do you think you played? How does your performance bode for the rest of the year take going forward?

TIGER WOODS: I feel like I put some pieces together this week. It's a process. It's a long process, but I've put some of it together, and I hit some shots this week that I haven't hit in a long time.

Q. Considering the the history at the U.S. Open, whose won it, are you surprised that there's not a more marquee player winning it?

TIGER WOODS: Not necessarily because of what Mike has done with the golf course. He's given more guys the chance to win the golf tournament. It's more open now. With the graduated rough, being firm and fast like this, it brings a lot more players into play who have a chance to win.

Mickelson back in the hunt after Friday 66 at Pebble

First round wrap-up at the US Open

Shaun Micheel, Paul Casey and Brendon de Jonge posted 2-under 69s on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the 110 th U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Mike Weir, K.J. Choi, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Ian Poulter, Alex Cejka and Ryo Ishikawa are one stroke behind.

Micheel has now led after the first round five times in his PGA TOUR career, but never outright. The others came at the 2001 National Car at Disney (finished T59), 2002 B.C. Open (T3), 2004 Nissan Open (T24) and the 2005 84 LUMBER Classic (T42).

Casey has now led four times after the first round on the PGA TOUR, but also never in outright fashion. The others came at the 2004 British Open (T20), 2007 Arnold Palmer Invitational (T14) and the 2007 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (T51).

Brendon de Jonge shared the lead after 18 holes at the 2007 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee for his only other first-round lead. He finished T28.

Micheel's 2-under 69 represents his first round in the 60s in 17 total rounds at the U.S. Open. His 69 equals his best opening round in a major championship, with the other two 69s leading to his two best finishes in a major (1st -2003 PGA Championship, 2nd -2006 PGA Championship).

Casey's 69 is his first sub-70 opening round in eight starts at the U.S. Open.

De Jonge, a 29-year-old native of Harare, Zimbabwe, is making his first career start in a major championship

-PGA TOUR

Mike Weir after his 1-under 70 at Pebble

Tiger: "The greens are just awful"

Robbers tie up golf lengend Chi Chi, then sack home

Puerto Rico police say they have arrested the main suspect in the robbery inside the home of golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Police spokeswoman Leticia Jover says 51-year-old Rey Francisco Rivera Marrero was arrested on Wednesday in the San Juan suburb of Bayamon.

Jover says Rivera led a group of five assailants who broke into Rodriguez's apartment at a southern coast golf resort on May 19. They tied up Rodriguez and his wife and stole cash and jewelry worth $500,000.

The 74-year-old golfer said in an interview that he has been installing security systems in his home since the robbery.

Scandals continue to follow Tiger as he preps for US Open

Golf ace Tiger Woods has been hit by another scandal - a porn star and escort has alleged he's the father of her nine-year-old son, Austin.

Devon James has gone public with her sensational claims as Woods prepares for this week's U.S. Open.

Appearing on U.S. news show Extra on Tuesday, James claims she kept her 2001 pregnancy and the birth of her son a secret from Woods but revealed all when her ex reconnected with her when his wife Elin Nordegren was expecting their first child together.

James says she decided to tell the world about Tiger's son following his 2009 cheating scandal.

She told Extra, "The world needs to know the truth about what was going on. There's a lot more involved that he's led on to believe."

James, who admits Woods has never taken a paternity test to prove he's the father of her son, claims the golfer once bought the kid a hat and a golf club.

And there's another illegitimate child scandal looming for Woods - an upcoming British documentary, Tiger Woods: The Rise & Fall, suggests the golfer has another love child, a daughter.

Woods refused to answer any questions about his personal life as he met the media at Pebble Beach, California on Tuesday.

-Toronto Sun

After a hand full of near misses Lee Westwood captures PGA Tour title

Tiger has never looked so lost heading into national championship

As Tiger Woods returns to the United States Open this week at Pebble Beach, the site of his still-stunning victory in 2000, he is facing some uncomfortable truths and difficult barriers. Four days before the tournament begins, Woods is trying to find a game that will hold up under major championship pressure.

In fact, with significant gaps in his game apparent in the four tournaments he has played in the run-up to the Open, Woods, 34, barely resembles the carefree, unfettered young man who won here by a record 15 strokes a decade ago. In a situation that could not have been imagined before last November’s one-car accident in front of his Florida home set off a scandal unlike any other golf has ever seen, Woods is floundering into the second major of the year, beset by doubts, flaws, frailties and distractions from the fallout.

Johnny Miller, the 1973 Open champion and NBC commentator, recently said it would take “a small miracle” for Woods to win this Open, and Woods himself might not argue with Miller’s assessment.

Barely clinging to his ranking as the No. 1 player in the world, Woods has no momentum. Since returning from his self-imposed exile for the Masters in April, he has not threatened to win and has had no real scoring breakthroughs. His average score in 13 rounds is 71.07, which would rank him 83rd on the PGA Tour.

Tiger Woods, 83rd on the tour in scoring average? He has won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average 8 of the 13 years he has been on tour — twice averaging 67.79. On the course and off, the numbers that are supposed to be low are high, and vice versa.

Although he has publicly denied it, he has seemingly lost his confidence. And swagger? Hardly. For the first time in 10 years, Woods was not atop the Sports Q Scores list when the June numbers were announced; the 47-year-old system, operated by Marketing Evaluations in Manhasset, N.Y., ranks the familiarity and appeal of personalities. He plunged to 25th in popularity, and his negative ratings doubled.

If Woods could start driving the ball in the fairway with any consistency, his fortunes could change quickly. But at the Players Championship, even before he withdrew with a neck injury during the final round, he hit several wild tee shots, missing one fairway by 50 yards. At the Memorial, where a year ago he hit every fairway during a final-round 65, Woods hit 68 percent for the tournament, ranking 70th of the 71 players who made the cut. In his final round, he hit two spectators on his first two drives.

If he drives the ball like that at Pebble Beach, where the fairways are firm and running, sloped in some places toward the ocean, he will not make the cut.

Even his lofty expectations seem to have fallen. When he said he hoped to “play all four rounds” before the Memorial, it almost sounded like a joke. When he got his wish, finishing two strokes clear of a group in 23rd place, Woods tried to be positive.

“I felt like this week, I hit some really good shots, shots that I had been lacking,” he said. “And I was able to shape the ball. I was still a little one-dimensional, but I could draw the ball really well.”

Contrast his pointing to some good shots with his summary of his game on the eve of the 2000 Open.

“I’ve hit a lot of good shots in my practice sessions,” he said. “I’ve played some pretty good rounds; I’ve shot some pretty good numbers. It just kind of makes you believe that you’re heading in the right direction. I’m trying to pick sides of the fairway I want to hit the ball on, shape it in there to 10-yard-wide fairways, that kind of thing. And I was able to do it.

“And that leads you to believe that if you can do it there, you can definitely do it in a tournament.”

At the point in the season when he was once the most focused, Woods is adrift, uncertain. He has taken to going on about how limited competitive exposure has put his game at an early-season stage while most players are in midseason form.

All this comes from a man who has won at least once in his first four events in 11 of 13 years. He has never begun a season as he has this year: a tie for fourth, a missed cut, a withdrawal during the final round and a tie for 19th.

Woods has also never faced turmoil like what he brought upon himself this year by admitting his infidelity. Will he exacerbate it by deciding to go without a swing instructor for the first time since he was 4? Some experts say it will help him clear his head.

Perhaps it will. The record shows Woods had almost equal professional success with Butch Harmon and Hank Haney, his only two coaches as a pro. He won 35 times, including eight majors, with Harmon, and 36 times, including six majors, with Haney.

Woods does not pretend to have all the answers about swing flaws, and when asked about them, he smiled and talked about the club-position flaw that has led to his missing right and left.

“Same thing,” he said at Memorial. “Club’s behind me, just like it was when I was working with Butch, just like it was when I was working with Hank. That’s just my fault, and that’s just one of the things that I tend to fall into.”

When he put on a clinic a decade ago in the Open, he had no such flaw. Harmon told Golf Digest recently that Woods then “had the feeling like he was taking the club a little outside and up.”

Harmon continued, “He was free of mechanical thoughts, and he had this pure aggression.”

Woods drove the ball longer and straighter than anyone in the Open field in 2000. He putted better than almost everyone. He was calmer, more confident and more focused, and he believed in himself. In a prescient insight early that week, the former tour player and NBC reporter Roger Maltbie saw Woods hit a 7-iron from the right rough on the par-5 sixth hole almost 210 yards over Stillwater Cove onto the green.

“It’s not a fair fight,” Maltbie said.

And it was not. Whether Woods is able to insinuate himself into a fight this week, despite all current evidence to the contrary, is the question. If he is, it will not be the first time a golfer has found something just before winning an Open. But it will be the first time Woods has looked this lost this close to the national championship.

-The National Post

Lee Westwood fires blazing 63 to lead in Memphis

Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player raise over $15 million for Mountain Mission

Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player have set many records over the course of their Hall of Fame careers, but what happened on Tuesday at The Olde Farm Golf Club will be hard to top.

"The Big 3" came together to help raise $15,149,183.98 in The Big 3® for the Mountain Mission Kids sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, a 19-hole scramble event in which they competed against 19 different teams of three amateur players for the benefit of the Mountain Mission School.

"The Big 3" won the competition with a 10-under 63 defeating the amateur teams by three strokes, but the real winner was Mountain Mission School. The $15.1 million raised is the most ever by a golf tournament in a single day.

"What happened here today is very special and this is a historic occasion," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem on Tuesday. "The efforts of Jim McGlothin, Johnson & Johnson, the membership of The Olde Farm and especially 'The Big 3' really epitomize what we mean when we say that Together, anything's possible."

The Big 3® for the Mountain Mission Kids, sanctioned by the PGA TOUR, was organized by Grundy native Jim McGlothlin, founder of The Olde Farm and a longtime benefactor of the school.

"To be able to do this is a testament to the hard work of a lot of dedicated people," said McGlothlin. "It is very rewarding to be able to make this donation to the Mountain Mission School. The work they do there is incredible and is making a huge difference in the lives of many kids."

"The day was spectacular," said Nicklaus. "We go to a lot of places and we raise a lot of money, but I have never seen a group that has absolutely been as philanthropic as you.

"I am very happy to thank all of you who have made such a wonderful contribution," said Palmer. "It was a privilege and honor to be here today."

"There was great enthusiasm that took place here today," said Player. "This is a country of giving back. I've been coming back for 55 years and people are always giving back. It's such a fantastic thing."

Historic Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va., which has sheltered and educated an estimated 20,000 needy children over its 87 years, will receive substantial support from the event. The school operates entirely from private donations and today's efforts will help establish a sustained endowment for Mountain Mission School.

Mountain Mission School is a non-profit institution that has 230 resident students ages 18 months to 20 years, attending a private school made of grades pre-kindergarten through 12. In recent years, more than 90 percent of the schools graduates have enrolled in colleges.

The campus has grown from a single building when it opened in 1921 to the campus it is today, with an educational building, vocational and fine arts building, campus chapel, administration building and three separate residences for girls, four residences for boys and a toddler hall for boys and girls under the age of seven.

A one-hour special about the Mountain Mission School and The Big 3® for the Mountain Mission Kids will air Saturday, July 10 from 2-3:00 p.m. ET prior to the third-round telecast of the PGA TOUR's John Deere Classic on CBS.

-PGA Tour

Tiger to play in charity event over seas

Tiger Woods will make his first appearance outside of the United States this year when he plays in a charity pro-am in Ireland next month.

Woods has agreed to play in a two-day event organized by Irish racehorse owner J.P. McManus.

The 36-hole pro-am will be held at Adare Manor, which is a former Irish Open venue, on July 5-6, the start of the week before the British Open at St Andrews.

The last J.P. McManus pro-am in 2005 raised 30 million pounds ($36 million) for nominated charities.

In a statement issued by the organizers, Woods said: "Like my own Foundation, I understand the importance and necessity of raising funds to help deserving individuals. This tournament does just that."

The Tiger Woods Foundation provides educational support programs and a learning center for young people.

Justin Rose breaks through to win first title on PGA Tour

Rickie Fowler comes up short at Memorial, but stays upbeat

Rickie Fowler didn't win his first PGA TOUR event Sunday at Muirfield Village, but it wasn't a total loss. He did gain a valuable lesson that should serve him well in the future.

And at 21 years old, that future should produce plenty of success.

Entering the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley with a three-shot lead, Fowler ended up shooting a 1-over 73 to finish second by three shots to Justin Rose.

But there was nothing to be ashamed of with the 73. Windy, rain-free conditions on Sunday turned Muirfield into a much more difficult course than the one Fowler had conquered in the first three rounds, including his record-tying 36-hole score of 13 under.

Although the tournament's founder, Jack Nicklaus, thought the wind might actually be beneficial to Fowler because of the youngster's playing days at Oklahoma State -- where, if you believe the musical Oklahoma!, "the wind comes sweeping down the plains" -- the legendary golfer also thought Fowler handled himself well on Sunday.

"I don't think Fowler has anything to be ashamed of," Nicklaus said. "I think he played very well today."

Fowler agreed. He was composed and upbeat after his final round, knowing that despite coming up short, he had played solid all week while posting his second runner-up finish of the year. He was looking forward to playing in Monday's 36-hole U.S. Open sectional qualifier, excited to keep the momentum going.

"It was an awesome week," Fowler said. "Obviously not the round that I wanted today. Didn't hit as many greens as I would like to, but we just had a lot of fun."

The last time Fowler was in a position to win, earlier this year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he had been criticized for laying up at a par-5 instead of playing aggressively to win.

On Sunday, he was tied for the lead with Rose when he arrived at the par-3 12th. When his tee shot found the water right of the green, the first thought was that he had overcompensated, took a line that was too aggressive and ultimately paid the price with a double bogey.

Fowler said that wasn't the case. He just hit a bad shot.

"I was trying to aim at the back bunker and cut it off a little bit there," he said. "The ball started going where I wasn't trying to. So I just made a bad swing and paid for it."

Fowler had entered the final round having played bogey-free golf for 52 consecutive holes, but a bogey at the second ended that streak. He responded, though, with birdies at the sixth and eight holes and still held the lead entering the back nine.

But a bogey at 10 and that double bogey at 12 dropped him off the pace. After that, he pressed to catch Rose, but the Englishman was too solid.

"Up until I hit that 5-iron in the water on 12, I was liking my position," Fowler said. "It would have been a fight throughout those last six holes."

Overall, though, the positives will outweight any negatives from that poor shot at the 12th.

"The best part is he thought well around the golf course, his emotions never got to him," said his caddie Donnie Darr, Fowler's former assistant coach at Oklahoma State and now the head coach at Ohio State. "Even when he hit that bad shot at 12, he just kept plugging away and doing the right thing."

Indeed, Fowler said he stuck to his game plan and now knows that he's on the right path. He gained valuable experience in how he played down the stretch in Phoenix. And now he gained more experience with his play this week.

"I'm pleased with how comfortable I felt this week after having those chances," Fowler said. "I look forward to the rest of the year."

With good reason. Not only is he pushing for his first win, but his big goal is to make the Ryder Cup team.

So don't expect him to back down.

"This won't be the last time Ricky will get in contention," Darr said. "I'm sure he'll learn from this experience."

-PGA Tour

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Rickie Fowler tied for lead after round 1 @ Memorial

Shot of the Day: Tim Clark makes an 80 foot eagle putt

Nicklaus, Woods, and Mickelson play a Wednesday skins game before The Memorial

Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley announced Tuesday the pairings for the Memorial Skins Game, to be played Wednesday, June 2, at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Memorial Tournament founder and host Jack Nicklaus leads the first group, which tees off at 1:05 p.m. Joining the Golden Bear will be Phil Mickelson, Sean O'Hair, and former Memorial winners Kenny Perry, and Ernie Els. Group 2 will feature World No. 1 and last year's Memorial winner Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, and 2002 Memorial winner Jim Furyk. They will tee off at 1:20 p.m.

The Memorial Skins Game is a nine-hole event starting on Hole No. 10 and will be televised live on Golf Channel from 1-3:30 p.m. Players will be outfitted with wireless microphones, in conjunction with the Memorial's Wednesday Junior Golf Day where kids 18 and under are admitted free, so that children and spectators may enjoy the banter among the players during this special competition. A purse of $100,000 is being offered with proceeds benefiting The First Tee.

John Daly set to crack into video game arena

Golf fans rejoice, there will soon be competition in the video game market. O-Games announced today that it will release John Daly’s ProStroke Golf for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC this fall.

The game is being developed by Gusto Games. With the slogan “Grip it and Rip it,” and legendary golfer John Daly at the helm, it sounds like the Tiger Woods franchise finally has some competition

“John Daly is the perfect golf player for our game; ProStroke’s control system is all about control, precision and power, and nobody backs that up better than John. In addition to his talent, his eccentric style and great personality make him the perfect partner for ProStroke Golf,” said Jim Scott, CEO of O-Games. “Our game delivers an authentic yet fun-to-play golfing experience for players, and there’s no better way to light up the course than with the legendary John Daly.”

The game will feature the ProStroke control system that allows players to shape and control real golf shots, which O-Games says is something never before seen in a golf game. The game will also feature fully licensed courses which John Daly has played on, along with different game modes, realistic golf physics, and commentary from the famous voices of golf.

“John Daly’s Prostroke Golf is a great golf game that everyone can play and enjoy,” said PGA legend John Daly. “For too long, the golfing genre has been dominated by one franchise, but with ProStroke Golf’s great gameplay, control scheme and realism, that’s all about to change. I’ve had the time of my life gripping and ripping it on the PGA Tour, and now gamers everywhere can see what it’s like to step into the Lion’s Den and bomb it down the fairway!”

Look for John Daly’s ProStroke Golf this fall.

-PSU

Some big names set to tee it up in the Canadian Open

The Canadian Open released its early list of committed players for 2010 and Tiger Woods was once again not on it.

And if the world No. 1 has as long a memory for perceived slights, it could be a while following a little off the cuff humour from Canadian Open tournament director Bill Paul on Tuesday.

“Having walked two holes with Tiger at The Players Championship, I think we’ll have the premier players here,” said Paul while addressing a question about the field for this year’s tournament at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. “He wasn’t hitting it very well.”

Of course given that the scandal-plagued Woods last played the Canadian Open in 2001, a year after he won it at Glen Abbey in 2000, perhaps Paul knows there is little risk what he says might move Woods one way or the other.

As for the players who do plan to be at the tournament this July, the list released Tuesday includes 13 of the top 50 players in the official World Golf Rankings.

Former major winners Retief Goosen and Y.E. Yang headline the big names along with Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas. Canadian Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters Champion, is probably the biggest star for the tournament, though he is ranked 62nd in the world this week.

Other notables who are scheduled to play at the private club in Toronto’s West End are Canadian pro Stephen Ames and young Matt Hill from Weir’s hometown of Bright’s Grove, Ont.

The 21-year-old, who in 2009 tied Woods’ NCAA record with eight college wins for N.C. State, will make his professional debut at the Memorial this week.

-National Post