With a chance to get his first win on the PGA Tour in seven years, John Daly had a disappointing third round at the Farmers Insurance Open, site of his last tour win. Daly posted 76 to play himself out of the event, but still in line to make a good check – maybe even get into Phoenix based upon a top eight finish.
Instead, Daly had a rough close to his tournament at Torrey Pines. Daly started strongly enough, going out in 1-under 35. The back nine was a complete collapse for the 1995 Open Champion, though.
With just three pars on the card for his back nine, Daly posted 44. Daly broke 80 by a shot.
He plummeted down the leaderboard 41 places into a tie for 65th place.
By comparison, Nick Watney played the back nine first on Sunday and shot 28 with just one par and eight birdies.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Why did Mickelson layup on the 72nd hole?
The most talked about shot from Phil Mickelson’s round will undoubtedly be the one he didn’t hit — before Bubba Watson even attempted what would ultimately become his winning birdie putt, Mickelson chose to lay up from the rough rather than go for it on the par-5 18th hole.
The lie for Mickelson wasn’t exactly good and ultimately he trusted his wedge more than whatever his ball would have done coming out of the rough from the 227 yards he had to carry to clear the water.
“If I hit a hybrid, the ball would have come out dead,” said Mickelson, who shot a final-round 69. “I couldn’t have made it over the water. But the way my 3‑wood is, the ball would have come out hot and it would have went screaming over. So I didn’t really have a shot to get it on the green. I felt like I had a better chance to make a three from the fairway trying to use that bank and bringing the ball back or flying it in.”
And Mickelson did nearly that, hitting a 64-degree wedge to just a few feet behind the hole from 72 yards out.
Knowing he needed to make the shot, Mickelson even took the extra precaution of scouting the green and having his caddie tend the flag.
“About 10, 12, 14 times a year I ended up hitting the pin with a wedge, and it ricochets all over the place and I didn’t want that to happen,” Mickelson said. “I wanted to fly it in, possibly, or I wanted it to skip past it and maybe bring it back and give it a second chance to go in and the pin would only get in the way of that.”
Mickelson didn’t make the shot, but he was more than pleased with his performance in his PGA TOUR season debut. The runner-up was his best result since finishing second at the Wells Fargo Championship a year ago. Mickelson had three more top-10s the rest of 2010, but he never threatened to win — until Sunday.
“I’ve really missed being in contention,” said Mickelson, who had four birdies on the back nine in the final round. “I’m excited because I can tell that my game’s coming around.
“I think it’s important to try to get a W sometime here in the next few weeks, because I need a little bit of momentum heading into Augusta.”
Without any major changes to his game and with Mickelson and his wife both healthy, Mickelson expects to have the kind of year this year that he expected last season — a big one.
”I’m kind of done making changes in my game and I’m trying to hit shots now,” Mickelson said. “I’m trying to hit draws, hit hooks, hit slices, hit fades, maneuver the ball and see if I can get it close. I’m excited because of that.”
The lie for Mickelson wasn’t exactly good and ultimately he trusted his wedge more than whatever his ball would have done coming out of the rough from the 227 yards he had to carry to clear the water.
“If I hit a hybrid, the ball would have come out dead,” said Mickelson, who shot a final-round 69. “I couldn’t have made it over the water. But the way my 3‑wood is, the ball would have come out hot and it would have went screaming over. So I didn’t really have a shot to get it on the green. I felt like I had a better chance to make a three from the fairway trying to use that bank and bringing the ball back or flying it in.”
And Mickelson did nearly that, hitting a 64-degree wedge to just a few feet behind the hole from 72 yards out.
Knowing he needed to make the shot, Mickelson even took the extra precaution of scouting the green and having his caddie tend the flag.
“About 10, 12, 14 times a year I ended up hitting the pin with a wedge, and it ricochets all over the place and I didn’t want that to happen,” Mickelson said. “I wanted to fly it in, possibly, or I wanted it to skip past it and maybe bring it back and give it a second chance to go in and the pin would only get in the way of that.”
Mickelson didn’t make the shot, but he was more than pleased with his performance in his PGA TOUR season debut. The runner-up was his best result since finishing second at the Wells Fargo Championship a year ago. Mickelson had three more top-10s the rest of 2010, but he never threatened to win — until Sunday.
“I’ve really missed being in contention,” said Mickelson, who had four birdies on the back nine in the final round. “I’m excited because I can tell that my game’s coming around.
“I think it’s important to try to get a W sometime here in the next few weeks, because I need a little bit of momentum heading into Augusta.”
Without any major changes to his game and with Mickelson and his wife both healthy, Mickelson expects to have the kind of year this year that he expected last season — a big one.
”I’m kind of done making changes in my game and I’m trying to hit shots now,” Mickelson said. “I’m trying to hit draws, hit hooks, hit slices, hit fades, maneuver the ball and see if I can get it close. I’m excited because of that.”
Tiger admits "I got some work to do" after firing 74, 75 on weekend
Tiger Woods says he and instructor Sean Foley have been on the phone every night this week.
Unfortunately for the world No. 3 and his coach, Woods hasn’t made the kind of progress he had hoped in his 2011 debut at a course where he’d already won seven times.
Sunday was a microcosm of his week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He struck the ball well early but his scores got progressively worse (69, 69, 74 and 75). Sunday’s round included five bogeys.
Woods said he was "absolutely, absolutely" surprised that he didn’t play more consistently at Torrey Pines, where he had won the last five tournaments he played, including the 2008 U.S. Open.
"I can do it on the range, but it’s a little different when I’ve got to bring it out here and I’ve got to shape shots," Woods said. "I’ve got to hit the ball with the right trajectory. These greens are not soft. So you can’t just hit any trajectory. You have to hit the proper trajectory. Then the wind’s blowing and it’s a lot.
"I’ve got some work to do, which is good."
Woods, whose next tournament is two weeks from now in Dubai, says he is committed to the work he is doing with Foley. He knows from past experience there will be ups and downs, and you have to stay the course.
"But how else are you going to get better?" Woods said. "You’ve got to do it. It takes reps and it takes reps under competition. You can’t be afraid to go ahead and try it."
Woods, who knows Torrey Pines as well as anyone, said he felt the South Course was there for the taking on Sunday.
"Granted, I shot a high number today, but it played that easy today," Woods said. "We didn’t have the normal, typical pins. We had three or four that were much easier than normal. Tees were moved up on a few holes. 18 moved up two tee boxes.
“It’s a bit of a shocker. But it provides more atmosphere for guys to make some birdies and then get after it. This is not a U.S. Open where you’re getting par every hole. Here it’s different. They’re trying to make a few birdies, make it a little more exciting." – Helen Ross
Unfortunately for the world No. 3 and his coach, Woods hasn’t made the kind of progress he had hoped in his 2011 debut at a course where he’d already won seven times.
Sunday was a microcosm of his week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He struck the ball well early but his scores got progressively worse (69, 69, 74 and 75). Sunday’s round included five bogeys.
Woods said he was "absolutely, absolutely" surprised that he didn’t play more consistently at Torrey Pines, where he had won the last five tournaments he played, including the 2008 U.S. Open.
"I can do it on the range, but it’s a little different when I’ve got to bring it out here and I’ve got to shape shots," Woods said. "I’ve got to hit the ball with the right trajectory. These greens are not soft. So you can’t just hit any trajectory. You have to hit the proper trajectory. Then the wind’s blowing and it’s a lot.
"I’ve got some work to do, which is good."
Woods, whose next tournament is two weeks from now in Dubai, says he is committed to the work he is doing with Foley. He knows from past experience there will be ups and downs, and you have to stay the course.
"But how else are you going to get better?" Woods said. "You’ve got to do it. It takes reps and it takes reps under competition. You can’t be afraid to go ahead and try it."
Woods, who knows Torrey Pines as well as anyone, said he felt the South Course was there for the taking on Sunday.
"Granted, I shot a high number today, but it played that easy today," Woods said. "We didn’t have the normal, typical pins. We had three or four that were much easier than normal. Tees were moved up on a few holes. 18 moved up two tee boxes.
“It’s a bit of a shocker. But it provides more atmosphere for guys to make some birdies and then get after it. This is not a U.S. Open where you’re getting par every hole. Here it’s different. They’re trying to make a few birdies, make it a little more exciting." – Helen Ross
Friday, January 28, 2011
Garcia near the lead after first round in Europe
Johan Edfors of Sweden shot an 8-under 64 Thursday in the first round of the Volvo Golf Champions, giving him a two-stroke lead in the European Tour's debut in Bahrain.
Four players were at 66 -- Peter Hanson, Pablo Larrazabal, Francesco Molinari and Graeme Storm. Sergio Garcia was tied with seven others at 67.
Padraig Harrington, who was disqualified last week when his ball moved after picking up his mark, and European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal both shot 70. Colin Montgomerie, who designed the course, was two strokes further back along with Ian Poulter.
Edfors had nine birdies at Royal Golf Club.
"Hit a lot of fairways, which are a bit wider than last week in Abu Dhabi, so it suits my game a bit better. And my distance control with irons was really good," Edfors said. "I gave myself a lot of good chances within 15 feet and holed a few of those and made a couple of birdies on the par 5s."
Garcia, back on the tour after some time off, was pleased with his round.
"A lot of good putts, a lot of good strokes," Garcia said. "Some really nice shots, and a couple of shots in there that I kind of would like to hit again. But I think it was definitely the right way to start the year."
The course in Bahrain has been criticized for its severe slopes on the greens on the practice round Tuesday. Edfors agreed it was difficult to attack them.
"But they have done a great job in keeping the flags in the right positions," Edfors said. "The greens look really, really big in the yardage book."
Four players were at 66 -- Peter Hanson, Pablo Larrazabal, Francesco Molinari and Graeme Storm. Sergio Garcia was tied with seven others at 67.
Padraig Harrington, who was disqualified last week when his ball moved after picking up his mark, and European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal both shot 70. Colin Montgomerie, who designed the course, was two strokes further back along with Ian Poulter.
Edfors had nine birdies at Royal Golf Club.
"Hit a lot of fairways, which are a bit wider than last week in Abu Dhabi, so it suits my game a bit better. And my distance control with irons was really good," Edfors said. "I gave myself a lot of good chances within 15 feet and holed a few of those and made a couple of birdies on the par 5s."
Garcia, back on the tour after some time off, was pleased with his round.
"A lot of good putts, a lot of good strokes," Garcia said. "Some really nice shots, and a couple of shots in there that I kind of would like to hit again. But I think it was definitely the right way to start the year."
The course in Bahrain has been criticized for its severe slopes on the greens on the practice round Tuesday. Edfors agreed it was difficult to attack them.
"But they have done a great job in keeping the flags in the right positions," Edfors said. "The greens look really, really big in the yardage book."
Daly shoots 67 @ Torrey Pines; blasts two tourney's for not giving him exemptions
Always controversial golfer John Daly last won a PGA Tour event in 2004 at Torrey Pines. Last year at the same course, he shot a 79-71 in the first two rounds before announcing his retirement from the game of golf.After shooting 5-under par on the south course on Thursday, Daly said, “I mean, you get frustrated. You know, this place means a lot to me. You think about winning here and stuff like I did in ’04, and you see Tiger plays here every year, that says something. It’s a special place.”
The often-troubled golfer managed to hit 12 greens in regulation and made seven birdies with only two bogeys. “Got off to a decent start,” Daly said. “Hit some really good shots.”
There are still three rounds left to play in the Farmers Insurance Open, but the question not yet answered is, can John Daly play consistent enough in all four rounds to contend for a victory?
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John Daly criticized two tournaments Thursday for not giving him sponsor exemptions, saying he would never play the Bob Hope Classic and Phoenix Open again.
Daly, a two-time major champion, has not won in seven years and has not had full PGA Tour status since 2006. He has been relying on sponsor exemptions or his status as a past champion. He already received two exemptions this year, to the Sony Open and to the Farmers Insurance Open, where he opened with a 67 on Thursday at Torrey Pines.
Daly was talking about his schedule for the year and that he hopes to get into the minimum 15 events. Without prompting, he went after two tournaments that didn't invite him.
"I'll tell you this — I'll never go back to the Hope, and I'll never go back to Phoenix, no matter what happens," Daly said. "I won't even send letters anymore."
Daly said he was bothered because the tournaments owed him for his past support.
"I'm just saying that if you look at my past, everything the Thunderbirds (at the Phoenix Open) have ever wanted me to do for 17, 16 years, I'm sure I did it for them," he said. "I helped celebrities go to the Hope. I went to their parties and did everything for them.
"That's the kind of stuff that we all want our young players to do out there to help tournaments, and I felt like I did my part.
"It hurt me for those two tournaments not to give me spots," he said. "So I'll go to Europe on those weeks."
Most tournaments are allowed four exemptions they can give to any player, and there is competition for those spots each week. Daly was awarded an exemption to the Sony Open over Tom Lehman, Brad Faxon and Tadd Fujikawa, a crowd favourite in Honolulu.
Most players who get exemptions are expected to attend an additional pro-am or a cocktail party to support the sponsors.
When he first lost his card, Daly had so many offers to play that he had to turn down some invitations. That was in 2007. He has not finished higher than 188th on the PGA Tour money list since then.
Unlike some other players who have lost their cards and returned to Q-school to try to earn back full privileges — such as Billy Mayfair and David Duval — Daly has not tried the six-round tournament.
"I don't think right now I need to," Daly said. "I feel my majors will still hopefully get me in 15 events each year. If not, I'll think about it. But for me to go to Q-school is just tough. I feel I don't really need to go that route yet because of the European Tour."
Daly has European Tour privileges through his 1995 British Open win. He plans to go to the Qatar Masters next week, and somehow get in enough European events for full membership.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Martin Kaymer bumps Tiger as world #2
Martin Kaymer shot a 6-under par 66 on Sunday to win the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by eight shots and climb above Tiger Woods as No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking.Kaymer held a five-shot lead going into the day and had no problem securing his third win in four years in Abu Dhabi, finishing with a 24-under total of 264. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland finished second after a final-round 69, while Retief Goosen and Graeme McDowell were another two shots back in third.
It was the biggest winning margin and lowest total score in the history of the tournament.
The victory will lift Kaymer from third to second in the world rankings, above Woods but still below Lee Westwood.
"It's quite nice to overtake somebody who is probably the best player in the world, perhaps the best player that ever lived," Kaymer said about Woods. "To be in front of him for a little bit -- we'll see how long it takes him to overtake me again -- but you know, it makes me very proud to be better in the world rankings than the best player in the world."
It was Kaymer's 100th start on the European Tour, and the ninth win of his career.
Goosen had the best round of the day with a 64, while McDowell closed with a 67. Phil Mickelson only finished 37th, meaning McDowell will move ahead of the reigning Masters champion at No. 4 in the rankings. Both started the week tied for fourth place.
Kaymer started his round with birdies on the second and third holes, and had extended his lead over McIlroy to seven shots by the turn.
"I am very happy, especially with the way I played golf today," Kaymer said. "The most important thing for me was today that I had fun. If I have fun, then I play good golf. I played with Rory and we definitely had a lot of fun on the golf course. He struggled a little bit on the first nine. After nine holes, I think I was leading by seven shots and then I pretty much knew if I just keep playing the way I do, I'm probably going to win."
McIlroy said he quickly gave up thoughts of challenging Kaymer, and played most of the round trying to stave off those chasing behind.
"After the first couple of holes today, I was just trying to consolidate second place, that's all you're really playing for," McIlroy said. "Martin played great all week and I don't think there was anyone in the world who could have topped him this week."
Mickelson closed with a 70, and said he wasn't bothered by slipping to No. 5 in the rankings.
"I think it's interesting and it's certainly a goal of all players to get up on top of the world rankings but I think it's more interesting to see how it plays out in the majors," he said. "I'm not as concerned with the rankings as some. ... I'm more concerned with getting my game ready for the majors."
Golf Canada appoints its first female prez
Admittedly, golf does not have the best track record when it comes to handling the perception that the sport is male-dominated. Truth is, it is run largely by men. Heck, the R&A doesn’t even allow female members – and they’re in charge of guarding the game on most of the acreage on the planet.But, every now and then, the sport does something to suggest its chauvinistic reputation can change.
This week, the Royal Canadian Golf Association (known these days as Golf Canada) appointed Edmonton laywer Karen Rackel as its first female president in its 116-year history.
As Robert Thompson reports, the then-RCGA combined with the Canadian Ladies Golf Association six years ago. The two major bodies of the country were completely separate – similar to how the R&A has its female pseudo-equivalency in the Ladies Golf Union.
The USGA has a pretty prominent woman involved in its Nominating Committee, with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on board at present. She has been rumored in varying golf circles to break respective glass ceilings of the sport – membership at Augusta, a top-notch position in Far Hills.
When a woman arises to such a position as Rackel in the USGA again or the R&A (not in my lifetime) then the game can go much further to shedding the critics who claim golf is still behind the 19th Amendment – passed 90 years ago.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Harrington disqualified after viewer e-mail @ Abu Dhabi
Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington was disqualified before the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship after the Irishman was judged to have illegally moved his ball during Thursday's first round.
European Tour senior referee Andy McFee said Friday that a viewer e-mailed to say Harrington replaced his ball on the green and, as he took the coin away, his hand moved the ball. Since the ball was not replaced, Harrington incurred a two stroke penalty not reflected on his scorecard.
"The problem is that Padraig's card for the seventh shows a three, and the fact that Padraig was totally unaware that this ball has moved doesn't unfortunately help him," McFee said. "The disqualification is for signing for the wrong score, lower than actually taken."
He finished with a 7-under 65 and was one shot behind leader Charl Schwartzel.
"You know what? A lot worse things could happen. You could be five ahead going into the last round," Harrington said jokingly. "It's an awkward situation. Every time something like this happens, you want to try and gain something from it, learn something from it."
In May 2000 at the Benson and Hedges International, Harrington led by five shots after three rounds but had failed to sign his first-round card and was disqualified on Sunday morning.
Harrington acknowledged that he touched the ball but felt it hadn't moved.
"I'm well aware of the ruling on that situation, and it's happened many times over the years," he said. "You know, I'm quite comfortable, if you touch a ball and it doesn't move and you feel it hasn't moved, it hasn't moved, and you don't need to -- there is no replacing.
"If you called the referee at that moment in time," he added, "in all good conscience, I couldn't have put the ball anywhere else but where it was."
Harrington's disqualification is only the most recent to be caused by a viewer.
Earlier this month, Camilo Villegas was disqualified for a rules violation that a television viewer called in after the opening round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
Villegas was chipping up the slope to the 15th green when the ball twice rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot as the ball was still moving down the slope.
That is a violation of Rule 23-1 that says, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty is two shots. Villegas opened with a 72, and he also was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
"The rules are good, we abide very well, the players love the fact that we apply them," Harrington said. "We love the standard that we play by. When we have to stick to that, that's the best thing about our game."
Harrington did acknowledge that the European Tour might consider modifying the penalty so a player was not disqualified after he "has signed his card and something has come forward that the player could not have been aware about."
"I'm comfortable with the whole idea that there's people there watching, and I believe when I'm on the golf course I'm not going to do anything untoward," Harrington said. "I hope that this many people watch The European Tour. I hope there's 100 million people watching me play and checking me out. It's good for the game."
European Tour senior referee Andy McFee said Friday that a viewer e-mailed to say Harrington replaced his ball on the green and, as he took the coin away, his hand moved the ball. Since the ball was not replaced, Harrington incurred a two stroke penalty not reflected on his scorecard.
"The problem is that Padraig's card for the seventh shows a three, and the fact that Padraig was totally unaware that this ball has moved doesn't unfortunately help him," McFee said. "The disqualification is for signing for the wrong score, lower than actually taken."
He finished with a 7-under 65 and was one shot behind leader Charl Schwartzel.
"You know what? A lot worse things could happen. You could be five ahead going into the last round," Harrington said jokingly. "It's an awkward situation. Every time something like this happens, you want to try and gain something from it, learn something from it."
In May 2000 at the Benson and Hedges International, Harrington led by five shots after three rounds but had failed to sign his first-round card and was disqualified on Sunday morning.
Harrington acknowledged that he touched the ball but felt it hadn't moved.
"I'm well aware of the ruling on that situation, and it's happened many times over the years," he said. "You know, I'm quite comfortable, if you touch a ball and it doesn't move and you feel it hasn't moved, it hasn't moved, and you don't need to -- there is no replacing.
"If you called the referee at that moment in time," he added, "in all good conscience, I couldn't have put the ball anywhere else but where it was."
Harrington's disqualification is only the most recent to be caused by a viewer.
Earlier this month, Camilo Villegas was disqualified for a rules violation that a television viewer called in after the opening round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
Villegas was chipping up the slope to the 15th green when the ball twice rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot as the ball was still moving down the slope.
That is a violation of Rule 23-1 that says, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed." The penalty is two shots. Villegas opened with a 72, and he also was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
"The rules are good, we abide very well, the players love the fact that we apply them," Harrington said. "We love the standard that we play by. When we have to stick to that, that's the best thing about our game."
Harrington did acknowledge that the European Tour might consider modifying the penalty so a player was not disqualified after he "has signed his card and something has come forward that the player could not have been aware about."
"I'm comfortable with the whole idea that there's people there watching, and I believe when I'm on the golf course I'm not going to do anything untoward," Harrington said. "I hope that this many people watch The European Tour. I hope there's 100 million people watching me play and checking me out. It's good for the game."
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Mickelson abandons veggie diet
U.S. Masters champion Phil Mickelson has abandoned the strict vegetarian diet he adopted to combat psoriatic arthritis during his disappointing 2010 season when victory in Georgia was his only success.The 40-year-old American joins his three fellow major champions -- Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and defending titleholder Martin Kaymer -- on Thursday in the strongest Abu Dhabi championship in the event's six-year history.
"I was a strict vegetarian for five months, and that went okay but ultimately, it was doomed to fail," he told a news conference on Wednesday. "I learned a lot from that as far as eating habits and diet and so I've implemented a lot of the things from that.
"I continue to eat a lot more vegetables than I have in the past and I'm trying to have a better balance now than instead of all protein.
"But as far as the arthritis, that's something that will never go away but I was fortunate. I was fortunate because I got on it right away.
"So the key for me now was getting on it right away before there was permanent damage to any joints or whatnot."
Mickelson, who is making his competitive debut in the Middle East, has slipped to fourth in the world rankings alongside McDowell. The pair will play alongside on the first two days at the National Club course.
"My goal this year in 2011 is to have the year I expected 2010 to be," Mickelson said. "With the exception of the Masters, it wasn't the year I had hoped for. And so I've been working hard in the off-season to make 2011 the year I believe I can have and the one I had hoped for last year."
The former world number two said he had struggled with his strength work in the gymnasium.
"I had lost a lot of strength over the summer from some medications I took before I was really getting treatment," he said.
"I was having difficulty getting that strength back, and so I have added protein back into my diet, and since then I've been able to get back to lifting weights and so forth to what I was lifting before."
Golfer banned over ball roll
Elliot Saltman was today banned from golf for three months after being found guilty of a "serious breach" of regulations at a Challenge Tour event.The 28-year-old was accused of marking his ball incorrectly during the first round of the M2M Russian Challenge Cup in Moscow last September.
The punishment is a big blow for the Scot given that he only won his European Tour card at the qualifying school in Spain last month.
A Tour statement read: "The committee at the hearing in Abu Dhabi unanimously found Elliot Saltman had committed a serious breach. Any appeal must be lodged within 28 days."
Saltman is the first player to be suspended from the Tour since 1992, when Sweden's Johan Tumba was banned for 10 years after altering his scorecard.
Bubba Watson wears heart on sleeve
Bubba Watson is the second-highest ranked player in the field for the Bob Hope Classic, which begins Wednesday in La Quinta.And there could be tears.
Watson, 32, tied for second at this tournament a year ago to kick off a season that was marked by professional accomplishments — winning his first PGA Tour event and playing for the U.S. in the Ryder Cup — and personal tragedy.
All season long, Watson communicated via Twitter the emotional struggles he was facing as his father, Gerry, battled lung cancer. Gerry passed away last fall but not before keeping track of Bubba during the Ryder Cup.
"He was in the hospital, he was getting fluids, so for me to be across [the ocean] talking to him at midnight every day was hard," Watson said Tuesday.
Watson's play during that international competition wasn't impeccable.
"He said I sucked," Watson said. "I didn't play very good … normal dad stuff.
"I didn't play as well as I wanted to over there, but my dad was proud of me."
Watson did play well the rest of the year. In June he won his first PGA Tour event at the Travelers Championship and in August almost won the PGA Championship, which would have been his first major title, losing to Germany's Martin Kaymer in a playoff.
It was in that loss at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin that Watson's personality was showcased.
His last hole of golf at that major might have been a bit of a disaster — he drove into the rough, then hit into water and finally hit the flagstick on a bogey try that would have extended the playoff — but his postgame emotions were weepy and joyful.
What Watson cared most about in the moment was whether he had qualified for the Ryder Cup.
He had.
"Hopefully you all don't think I'm a sissy," Watson said at the time. "You know, I do hit the ball a long way."
He wasn't exaggerating. In 2010, Watson ranked second on the Tour in driving distance, averaging 309.8 yards.
Through it all, Watson said knowing his father was fatally ill was no burden. It was strengthening.
"It helped me," Watson said, "because my dad wanted me to play golf. He was asking me to play golf."
Watson said that early last season he wasn't so public about his father's illness. That changed as the disease progressed. Watson decided that by letting his fans know about his father's cancer, his father might gain some extra prayers.
"It was just the way to get other people out there to pray for me and my family and help go through the process," Watson said.
Monday, January 17, 2011
McDowell, Els move up in golf rankings
Graeme McDowell and Ernie Els each inched up in the men's world golf rankings, updated Monday.
McDowell pulled into a tie with Phil Mickelson for the No. 4 spot with each golfer averaging 6.238 rankings points. Els is also in a tie, matching Ian Poulter's average of 5.402, which is 10th in the rankings.
Lee Westwood is still No. 1 with an average of 8.829 points, well ahead of No. 2 Tiger Woods (7.315) and third-ranked Martin Kaymer (7.046).
After McDowell and Mickelson, Steve Stricker (6.020) is ranked sixth with Jim Furyk (5.761) in seventh, Paul Casey (5.655) again in eighth and Luke Donald (5.503) ninth ahead of Els and Poulter.
Charl Schwartzel was the biggest gainer in the rankings after he defended his title at the Joburg Open, a Johannesburg stop of the European Tour, Sunday. Schwartzel jumped nine places to No. 23 in the rankings.
Tim Clark, who tied for second at the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Honolulu, reached the Top 20 by moving up seven spots from 27th a week ago.
McDowell pulled into a tie with Phil Mickelson for the No. 4 spot with each golfer averaging 6.238 rankings points. Els is also in a tie, matching Ian Poulter's average of 5.402, which is 10th in the rankings.
Lee Westwood is still No. 1 with an average of 8.829 points, well ahead of No. 2 Tiger Woods (7.315) and third-ranked Martin Kaymer (7.046).
After McDowell and Mickelson, Steve Stricker (6.020) is ranked sixth with Jim Furyk (5.761) in seventh, Paul Casey (5.655) again in eighth and Luke Donald (5.503) ninth ahead of Els and Poulter.
Charl Schwartzel was the biggest gainer in the rankings after he defended his title at the Joburg Open, a Johannesburg stop of the European Tour, Sunday. Schwartzel jumped nine places to No. 23 in the rankings.
Tim Clark, who tied for second at the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Honolulu, reached the Top 20 by moving up seven spots from 27th a week ago.
Westwood salutes Ryder Cup captain elect Olazabal
World number one Lee Westwood hailed 'Captain Fantastic' Jose Maria Olazabal on the eve of the Spaniard's expected appointment as Europe's 2012 Ryder Cup skipper.
In recent years the new captain for the biennial team event has been voted on at a formal 15-man Tournament Players Committee meeting.
That has not been necessary this time with chairman Thomas Bjorn conducting a phone poll over the Christmas period and the popular Olazabal becoming a unanimous choice to succeed Colin Montgomerie after last year's win over United States in Wales.
"Jose Maria has been a great Ryder Cup player and when he was involved with the vice-captaincy at Valhalla (in 2008) and at Celtic Manor (in 2010) he's been superb," Westwood told Reuters in an interview on Monday.
"When Jose Maria conducts a team talk or motivational talk everyone listens. He will bring leadership, experience and passion and is going to be fantastic when he leads the team at Medinah (near Chicago)."
The 44-year-old Olazabal's appointment is set to be confirmed in a European Tour news conference at 1330 local time (0930 GMT) on Tuesday at the venue for this week's Abu Dhabi Championship.
The 1994 and 1999 U.S. Masters winner is also making his debut at the Abu Dhabi Championship, the first event of the European Tour's four-week Desert Swing that also ventures into Bahrain, Qatar and finally Dubai.
Olazabal has been dogged by injuries and ill-health, including losing two years to rheumatoid arthritis in his feet in the mid-1990s.
He has suffered with rheumatic pain in his back and shoulders for the past two years.
Olazabal's manager Sergio Gomez told Reuters last month the Spaniard was still in some discomfort but that his fitness had improved and he planned to play all four tournaments in the Desert Swing.
He featured in only three competitive European Tour events in 2010 but Westwood said it would not matter how much the captain-elect played on the circuit in the build-up to Medinah.
"Everyone knows Ollie and no, I don't see it as a problem if he is not around and playing that much," said the Briton.
"He should play enough events that will keep him abreast of what the likely team members are doing so that shouldn't be a problem."
Olazabal has played in seven Ryder Cups and combined with his good friend Seve Ballesteros to form the most successful partnership in the team event, winning 11, halving two and losing two of their 15 matches together.
In recent years the new captain for the biennial team event has been voted on at a formal 15-man Tournament Players Committee meeting.
That has not been necessary this time with chairman Thomas Bjorn conducting a phone poll over the Christmas period and the popular Olazabal becoming a unanimous choice to succeed Colin Montgomerie after last year's win over United States in Wales.
"Jose Maria has been a great Ryder Cup player and when he was involved with the vice-captaincy at Valhalla (in 2008) and at Celtic Manor (in 2010) he's been superb," Westwood told Reuters in an interview on Monday.
"When Jose Maria conducts a team talk or motivational talk everyone listens. He will bring leadership, experience and passion and is going to be fantastic when he leads the team at Medinah (near Chicago)."
The 44-year-old Olazabal's appointment is set to be confirmed in a European Tour news conference at 1330 local time (0930 GMT) on Tuesday at the venue for this week's Abu Dhabi Championship.
The 1994 and 1999 U.S. Masters winner is also making his debut at the Abu Dhabi Championship, the first event of the European Tour's four-week Desert Swing that also ventures into Bahrain, Qatar and finally Dubai.
Olazabal has been dogged by injuries and ill-health, including losing two years to rheumatoid arthritis in his feet in the mid-1990s.
He has suffered with rheumatic pain in his back and shoulders for the past two years.
Olazabal's manager Sergio Gomez told Reuters last month the Spaniard was still in some discomfort but that his fitness had improved and he planned to play all four tournaments in the Desert Swing.
He featured in only three competitive European Tour events in 2010 but Westwood said it would not matter how much the captain-elect played on the circuit in the build-up to Medinah.
"Everyone knows Ollie and no, I don't see it as a problem if he is not around and playing that much," said the Briton.
"He should play enough events that will keep him abreast of what the likely team members are doing so that shouldn't be a problem."
Olazabal has played in seven Ryder Cups and combined with his good friend Seve Ballesteros to form the most successful partnership in the team event, winning 11, halving two and losing two of their 15 matches together.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Tiger Woods Nike ads dubbed "worst celeb endorsement of '10"
TIGER Woods was unsurprisingly named the worst celebrity endorsement of 2010, a US study has revealed.
The study, titled "Celebrity Advertisements: Exposing a Myth of Advertising Effectiveness", found Woods was the worst celebrity spokesman last year with his endorsement of Nike.
TV advertisements featuring Woods lifted the value of a campaign by minus 30 per cent, the study by Ace Metrix, who measure television advertising effectiveness, revealed.
The result follows a tumultuous year for the golf star who came under fire for a string of extramarital affairs which ended his marriage to Elin Nordegren.
The scandal prompted Procter & Gamble's Gillette brand to end its sponsorship agreement with Woods, following similar moves by AT&T, Accenture and Gatorade.
Cyclist Armstrong, who also had negative press in 2010 with accusations of doping by former teammate Floyd Landis, came in close second with minus 30 per cent lift in the value of his campaign for Radio Shack.
The study, which tested more than 2600 television ads in 2010, found the best endorsement was Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.
However Manning - who endorses Mastercard, Gatorade and Oreo cookies - only lifted value of a campaign by 1.5 per cent.
The study concluded that fewer than 12 per cent of ads using celebrities exceeded a 10 per cent lift versus average industry norms, and nearly 20 per cent of celebrity ads yielded negative lift scores in excess of 10 per cent.
Padraig Harrington reveals major swing overhaul during off season
Pádraig Harrington has lived up to his reputation for being one of golf's hardest working players by making significant changes to his game during the off-season.The Dubliner is one of golf's most well-known tinkerers and despite professing himself pleased with his game late last year, he told RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen that the work on his swing has continued.
He said: 'I've had a great winter. I've done a lot of really good work in the gym. I haven't had a neck injury in five-and-a-half weeks, which is great for me.
'I have also - as usual - been doing a lot of work on my golf game. I've spent a lot of time indoors hitting shots in a net. I've changed a substantial number of things, getting to grips with the swing changes that I have been trying to make for four or five years.'
Harrington's work has not been limited to his swing - he has also overhauled his mental approach and his equipment.
'I (also) changed a couple of other things to do with my routines and triggers which will have a big effect on focus. It is difficult to change the trigger, it's a very tough thing to do but the upside is that I'm taking out two or three things that maybe used to distract me.
'It is a lot of change. When you make a lot of changes you never know which one is having the actual effect.'
Harrington has changed the grips and the lie angle of his golf clubs: no small matter for an established professional.
He added: 'The change of my actual grips on the golf club is substantial. Basically it stops me from re-gripping over the golf ball. The other physical changes I've been trying to do all along.'
Some commentators and fans would prefer if Harrington ceased altering a golf game that has delivered three Majors to date.
But for Harrington, swing changes have long been a part of his approach and his latest work is part of a continuing effort to correct long standing technical faults.
'It's not more change. It is what I've been trying to do for about five years. For five years I've been trying to sort out my hip action in the backswing. I tended to tilt under and then to get very lateral in my downswing. It is something I've been trying to for a very long time but it is something I have hopefully gotten to grips with.'
Harrington added: 'I've never been more optimistic about my game. I've got my best years ahead of me. But I'm always like that.
'I still feel I'm a young man, and I'm fitter and stronger than at any stage of my life.'
Man dies after being shot while playing golf
Police are searching for two suspects who shot and killed a man as he played golf.
The victim, identified as 35-year-old Lataurus Randall died at the hospital, Friday.
According to police, he was one of two men playing golf at the Deerfield Country Club when two unknown males came out of the bushes just before 6:30 p.m. and tried to rob them. A struggle ensued, and Randall was shot in the back.
Broward Sheriff's Office deputies set up a large perimeter and sent out a BSO helicopter and K-9s but never found the attackers. Golf management said Randall usually plays at the club regularly with his friend.
Police described the suspects as two black men wearing black clothing and ski masks.
Rescue crews transported Randall to Broward Medical Center where he entered surgery but later died. The second golfer, who was described as 43 years old, was not hurt.
Police are still investigating.
The victim, identified as 35-year-old Lataurus Randall died at the hospital, Friday.
According to police, he was one of two men playing golf at the Deerfield Country Club when two unknown males came out of the bushes just before 6:30 p.m. and tried to rob them. A struggle ensued, and Randall was shot in the back.
Broward Sheriff's Office deputies set up a large perimeter and sent out a BSO helicopter and K-9s but never found the attackers. Golf management said Randall usually plays at the club regularly with his friend.
Police described the suspects as two black men wearing black clothing and ski masks.
Rescue crews transported Randall to Broward Medical Center where he entered surgery but later died. The second golfer, who was described as 43 years old, was not hurt.
Police are still investigating.
Monday, January 10, 2011
McDowell shoots blazing 62 in final round to miss playoff by one
Graeme McDowell didn’t think he had a chance to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions when he began his final round Sunday.
Six shots off the lead, he just went out to have a fun day.
"I really didn’t think I had a shot," he said.
But with five birdies in his first six holes, he started to make noise. Then he kept making noise. Finally, after birdies at 15 and 16 to get him to 23 under and into a tie for the lead, it finally dawned on him.
"At that point," he said, "I thought I might have a shot."
After making par on the tough par-4 17th, McDowell failed to birdie the par-5 18th, coming up one shot shy of the playoff that included Robert Garrigus and Jonathan Byrd.
Still, by shooting an 11-under 62, McDowell tied the tournament and course record set of 62 set by K.J. Choi in 2003. The 11-under round also ties McDowell’s personal low that he set two years ago in the Irish Open at County Louth.
The next day after that round in Ireland, McDowell had to withdraw from the tournament due to shin splints. This time, he couldn’t be happier with his performance.
"I’m just over the moon with the way I played this week," McDowell said.
Especially because of the scrutiny he incurred by changing equipment from Callaway, which he used to win the U.S. Open last year, to Srixon.
His play this week helped erase any doubts that he had made the right move.
"I’ve just proven to the world I’m not naive enough to switch to inferior equipment," McDowell said. "I’m very confident in Srixon. … All I’ve done is gone from one great company to another."
Six shots off the lead, he just went out to have a fun day.
"I really didn’t think I had a shot," he said.
But with five birdies in his first six holes, he started to make noise. Then he kept making noise. Finally, after birdies at 15 and 16 to get him to 23 under and into a tie for the lead, it finally dawned on him.
"At that point," he said, "I thought I might have a shot."
After making par on the tough par-4 17th, McDowell failed to birdie the par-5 18th, coming up one shot shy of the playoff that included Robert Garrigus and Jonathan Byrd.
Still, by shooting an 11-under 62, McDowell tied the tournament and course record set of 62 set by K.J. Choi in 2003. The 11-under round also ties McDowell’s personal low that he set two years ago in the Irish Open at County Louth.
The next day after that round in Ireland, McDowell had to withdraw from the tournament due to shin splints. This time, he couldn’t be happier with his performance.
"I’m just over the moon with the way I played this week," McDowell said.
Especially because of the scrutiny he incurred by changing equipment from Callaway, which he used to win the U.S. Open last year, to Srixon.
His play this week helped erase any doubts that he had made the right move.
"I’ve just proven to the world I’m not naive enough to switch to inferior equipment," McDowell said. "I’m very confident in Srixon. … All I’ve done is gone from one great company to another."
Natalie Gulbis & Dustin Johnson confirmed dating
PGA Tour player Natalie Gulbis was in the gallery following Dustin Johnson on the back nine Saturday at Kapalua, and apparently it was no coincidence.Gulbis told golf.com they are dating.
"I'll let Dustin handle our PR," Gulbis said with a laugh after confirming to the website they are dating.
Johnson declined comment.
The 25-year-old Johnson is a rising American star with two victories last year, including close calls in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He was the top American on the world money list in 2010. The 28-year-old Gulbis, who had a relationship with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2005, struggled on the LPGA Tour while recovering from back surgery.
Mickelson's college mate looking to regain golfing glory
There are 54 of the world's best amateur golfers - mostly young guns eyeing a professional career - in Melbourne this week for the Master of the Amateurs tournament at Royal Melbourne. But only one has the pedigree and preparation that Harry Rudolph III boasts.
Rudolph, 40, honed his game in the past few weeks playing for money against his old friend Phil Mickelson. And took the cash.
His story is vastly different to the majority of competitors in the blue-chip amateur tournament that begins this morning on the west course at ''Royal''. Rudolph grew up in San Diego and was a constant competitor of Mickelson's as well as an NCAA title-winning player with the University of Arizona alongside Jim Furyk, who would progress to become US Open champion years later.
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He and Mickelson used to play for tees, the strict amateur regulations not allowing them to compete for cash.
In 1992, he was all-American alongside Mickelson, Justin Leonard and David Duval.
Rudolph turned professional but instead ended up flipping hamburgers in the restaurant he bought in La Jolla, near San Diego.
His stint as a touring professional in Asia, Australia, South America and the United States ended in 1999, and he scarcely played golf at all for a decade.
In 2009, he applied for and was granted amateur status, and was recently runner-up in the California state amateur title.
It's as though his life is being played out in reverse.
"Looking back on that, I didn't know I was coming up against potentially one of the best golfers of all-time,'' he said recently of his amateur duels with Mickelson. "Had I known that, I might have cut myself some slack for losing to him every once in a while.''
Eleven nations are represented in the field for the tournament, which is being played at Royal Melbourne for the first time.
The likes of US PGA Tour stars Jason Day and Rickie Fowler used the event as a proving ground.
Rudolph, 40, honed his game in the past few weeks playing for money against his old friend Phil Mickelson. And took the cash.
His story is vastly different to the majority of competitors in the blue-chip amateur tournament that begins this morning on the west course at ''Royal''. Rudolph grew up in San Diego and was a constant competitor of Mickelson's as well as an NCAA title-winning player with the University of Arizona alongside Jim Furyk, who would progress to become US Open champion years later.
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He and Mickelson used to play for tees, the strict amateur regulations not allowing them to compete for cash.
In 1992, he was all-American alongside Mickelson, Justin Leonard and David Duval.
Rudolph turned professional but instead ended up flipping hamburgers in the restaurant he bought in La Jolla, near San Diego.
His stint as a touring professional in Asia, Australia, South America and the United States ended in 1999, and he scarcely played golf at all for a decade.
In 2009, he applied for and was granted amateur status, and was recently runner-up in the California state amateur title.
It's as though his life is being played out in reverse.
"Looking back on that, I didn't know I was coming up against potentially one of the best golfers of all-time,'' he said recently of his amateur duels with Mickelson. "Had I known that, I might have cut myself some slack for losing to him every once in a while.''
Eleven nations are represented in the field for the tournament, which is being played at Royal Melbourne for the first time.
The likes of US PGA Tour stars Jason Day and Rickie Fowler used the event as a proving ground.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Tiger Woods still @ the top in total earnings for 2010
Disgraced golfer Tiger Woods is still laughing all the way to the bank.
Woods has been named golf's top moneymaker with US$74.2 million in total earnings for 2010, despite a public backlash following revelations of his numerous affairs, leading to his divorce from wife Elin Nordegren.
Woods saw off competition from Phil Mickelson to land the Golf Digest magazine title. His fellow American's earnings paled in comparison at US$40.18 million.
Woods has been named golf's top moneymaker with US$74.2 million in total earnings for 2010, despite a public backlash following revelations of his numerous affairs, leading to his divorce from wife Elin Nordegren.
Woods saw off competition from Phil Mickelson to land the Golf Digest magazine title. His fellow American's earnings paled in comparison at US$40.18 million.
Golf Digest says so long to Tiger
It’s been a rough fortnight for Tiger Woods. First, Gillette officially sliced him from its advertising campaigns, word came that work had stopped on his High Carolina golf course, and EA Sports pitched him from the cover of his own golf video game. In the latest round of poor economic indicators, Golf Digest has written off the world’s No. 2 golfer.
The leading golf pub announced Thursday that Woods could take his writing talents elsewhere as it would end his 13-year gig as a bylined playing editor. Woods’ February column will be his last monthly offering, said a statement from Jerry Tarde, Golf Digest’s chair and editor-in-chief.
“We appreciate the insights Tiger has provided to our readers,” according to Tarde.
In his own statement, Woods responded, “I enjoyed my relationship with Golf Digest. But we have decided it’s now time for a break. I wish my friends at Golf Digest continued success.”
Thursday’s announcement was not the first time Golf Digest parted ways with Woods. During the player’s self-imposed hiatus from competitive golf, the magazine suspended his regular instructional articles but kept his name on the masthead. The deal back then was that Woods was out of the golf tip biz, for which he received a reported $3 million, as long as he was off the golf course.
“Tiger is listed as a Playing Editor on the Golf Digest masthead; his name will continue to be on the masthead during his time away from the game,” according to a December 2009 Golf Digest statement.
Prior to that action, Golf Digest published the controversial January 2010 issue that sported a composite photo of Woods leaning over President Obama’s shoulder as if he were giving him putting hints. The photo and cover story, “10 Tips Obama Can Take from Tiger,” became the subject of late-night punchlines, despite the fact that the magazine sent the cover to the printer two weeks before news of Woods’ sexcapades broke. The issue hit the newsstands as the scandal made worldwide headlines.
The recent parting appeared to be friendly, as Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg told Golf Digest that his client “couldn’t commit to the digital demands that are part of journalism today.”
The leading golf pub announced Thursday that Woods could take his writing talents elsewhere as it would end his 13-year gig as a bylined playing editor. Woods’ February column will be his last monthly offering, said a statement from Jerry Tarde, Golf Digest’s chair and editor-in-chief.
“We appreciate the insights Tiger has provided to our readers,” according to Tarde.
In his own statement, Woods responded, “I enjoyed my relationship with Golf Digest. But we have decided it’s now time for a break. I wish my friends at Golf Digest continued success.”
Thursday’s announcement was not the first time Golf Digest parted ways with Woods. During the player’s self-imposed hiatus from competitive golf, the magazine suspended his regular instructional articles but kept his name on the masthead. The deal back then was that Woods was out of the golf tip biz, for which he received a reported $3 million, as long as he was off the golf course.
“Tiger is listed as a Playing Editor on the Golf Digest masthead; his name will continue to be on the masthead during his time away from the game,” according to a December 2009 Golf Digest statement.
Prior to that action, Golf Digest published the controversial January 2010 issue that sported a composite photo of Woods leaning over President Obama’s shoulder as if he were giving him putting hints. The photo and cover story, “10 Tips Obama Can Take from Tiger,” became the subject of late-night punchlines, despite the fact that the magazine sent the cover to the printer two weeks before news of Woods’ sexcapades broke. The issue hit the newsstands as the scandal made worldwide headlines.
The recent parting appeared to be friendly, as Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg told Golf Digest that his client “couldn’t commit to the digital demands that are part of journalism today.”
Villegas disqualified as TV viewer calls in infraction
Camilo Villegas was disqualified Friday morning following a rules violation during his opening round on Thursday at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Villegas was chipping up the slope toward the green at the par-5 15th when the ball twice rolled back down to him. The second time, he flicked away a loose piece of grass by the divot as the ball was still moving down the slope.
That was a violation of Rule 23-1, which states that, “When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed.”
Villegas should have taken a two-stroke penalty in addition to the double bogey 7 that he recorded. After finishing his round, he signed for an opening 72, which meant he was actually disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
A television viewer noticed the possible violation, which was then brought to the attention of tournament officials.
Slugger White, the PGA TOUR’s vice president of rules and competition, said he got word of the possible violation Thursday night but didn’t get a chance to watch the videotape of the shot until Friday morning.
“It was pretty obvious what happened,” White said.
“I waited for Camilo to get here this morning. The first thing he said was, ‘Am I gone?’ I said, ‘Well, yeah, but I’d like you to look at the tape. He said he’d like to look at the tape. He came over and saw it and knew right away.”
Villegas released a statement saying that he clearly violated Rule 23-1.
“After viewing the tape with Slugger White this morning, it was clear what happened,” Villegas said.
“White it is obviously a disappointing way to start the season, the rules are the rules. And when something like this happens, it’s important to me that you’re respectful of the game and the people involved.”
Villegas’ disqualification caused a shuffle in Friday’s second-round tee times. Rocco Mediate, who was originally supposed to go out as a single in the first group of the day, will now take Villegas’ vacated spot and will be paired with Ernie Els at 3:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. local time).
“We talked to Rocco about it and he was very amenable (to the change),” White said.
The first tee time of the day will now be at 3:10 p.m. ET with the pairing of Jason Day and Justin Rose.
Even though it was not the way Villegas wanted to celebrate his 29th birthday Friday, White said the Colombian star took the news in stride.
“He was upfront, as big as he could possibly be about it,” White said. “Really wonderful about it. He understood and went about his business.”
Said Villegas: “Everyone involved with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions has been terrific this week, so I will work hard to earn my way back to the event next year.”
Villegas was making his second appearance in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He finished tied for 12th in 2009.
Jason Day makes miracle par after hitting driver 106 yards off the tee
After a whirlwind trip to get to Hawaii this week, Day opening 73 wasn't a surprise, but he furnished one in today's stellar comeback. Wielding a driver on the tee box at the par-4 13th hole, he hit it fat.The ball came to rest 106 yards and just into the fairway. From there, he hit another driver into a fairway bunker, then blasted to 17'5" from where he converted the par putt.
Afterwards, he said that it was the best par of his life. It also overshadowed a pair of longer birdie putts -- 33'10" and 19'11" at the second and 11th holes, respectively -- but he seemed to have enjoyed the embarrassing display, essentially smiling his way through the 13th. Oh, and he's just three back of the clubhouse lead at the midpoint.
6 Canadians to tee it up on new-look LPGA Tour in '11
he six Canadians on the 2011 LPGA Tour are about to embark on a fascinating season.
Lori Kane, Alena Sharp, Lisa Meldrum, Samantha Richdale, Adrienne White and newcomer Stephanie Sherlock and the rest of the golfing world learned yesterday, during the unveiling of the 2011 LPGA Tour schedule, that the tour has added ground-breaking ideas for tournaments.
New events in the U.S., Taiwan and China have been added to the tournament calendar along with a renewed commitment to the tour's existing and long-term corporate partners. Evidence of that commitment will happen through a unique qualifying format for the tour's season finale. The format will be a season-long celebration of tournament title sponsors called the Countdown to Titleholders.
“Our 2011 schedule reflects the key strategic initiatives of the LPGA: Global – new events in the U.S. and abroad; Partnership – consistently increasing the value to our current business partners; and responsibility – embracing the history of the LPGA and making a commitment to the future of the women’s game,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan while he appeared on Golf Channel.
All three of these elements will be showcased at the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a tournament designed to honor the LPGA’s pioneers, showcase the world’s greatest female athletes of the present and, most importantly, build a strong and robust future for women in the game of golf.
Players participating in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a new 54-hole, stroke-play event to be televised on the Golf Channel, will forgo a tournament purse in favor of financially supporting the LPGA Foundation. The organization runs the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program. The tournament, with a field of 132 players, will help raise funds to grow the game at a grass-roots level much like Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Bettye Danoff and the eight other LPGA Founders first set out to accomplish more than 60 years ago.
The event is slated for March 18-20 at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Arizona. The tournament will be officially sanctioned, thus providing official LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame and Rolex Rankings points, as well as official statistics and impact to the LPGA Official Money List purposes.
The LPGA Tour begins Feb. 17-20 with the $1,500,000 Honda LPGA Thailand in Chonburi, Thailand, at the Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course.
From Aug. 25-28 Michelle Wie will defend her title during the $2,250,000 CN Canadian Women’s Open in Mirabel, Que., at the Canada Hillsdale Golf and Country Club.
The $1,500,000 Titleholders event happens Nov. 17-20 in Orlando, Fla., at Cypress Golf Club.
Lori Kane, Alena Sharp, Lisa Meldrum, Samantha Richdale, Adrienne White and newcomer Stephanie Sherlock and the rest of the golfing world learned yesterday, during the unveiling of the 2011 LPGA Tour schedule, that the tour has added ground-breaking ideas for tournaments.
New events in the U.S., Taiwan and China have been added to the tournament calendar along with a renewed commitment to the tour's existing and long-term corporate partners. Evidence of that commitment will happen through a unique qualifying format for the tour's season finale. The format will be a season-long celebration of tournament title sponsors called the Countdown to Titleholders.
“Our 2011 schedule reflects the key strategic initiatives of the LPGA: Global – new events in the U.S. and abroad; Partnership – consistently increasing the value to our current business partners; and responsibility – embracing the history of the LPGA and making a commitment to the future of the women’s game,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan while he appeared on Golf Channel.
All three of these elements will be showcased at the inaugural RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a tournament designed to honor the LPGA’s pioneers, showcase the world’s greatest female athletes of the present and, most importantly, build a strong and robust future for women in the game of golf.
Players participating in the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, a new 54-hole, stroke-play event to be televised on the Golf Channel, will forgo a tournament purse in favor of financially supporting the LPGA Foundation. The organization runs the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program. The tournament, with a field of 132 players, will help raise funds to grow the game at a grass-roots level much like Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Bettye Danoff and the eight other LPGA Founders first set out to accomplish more than 60 years ago.
The event is slated for March 18-20 at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Arizona. The tournament will be officially sanctioned, thus providing official LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame and Rolex Rankings points, as well as official statistics and impact to the LPGA Official Money List purposes.
The LPGA Tour begins Feb. 17-20 with the $1,500,000 Honda LPGA Thailand in Chonburi, Thailand, at the Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course.
From Aug. 25-28 Michelle Wie will defend her title during the $2,250,000 CN Canadian Women’s Open in Mirabel, Que., at the Canada Hillsdale Golf and Country Club.
The $1,500,000 Titleholders event happens Nov. 17-20 in Orlando, Fla., at Cypress Golf Club.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Soon anyone will be able to tee it up @ Augusta
The Masters is about to let anyone play Augusta National — at least in a video game.
In another step toward reaching a younger audience, the Masters will be featured in EA Sports' next edition of the popular "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12" golf game.
The game goes on sale March 29, a week before the Masters, and will be available for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation. It will be the first time Augusta National has allowed its course to be used for a video game.
Proceeds from the game will go to the "Masters Tournament Foundation," a charity that will allow Augusta to invest in developmental programs.
In another step toward reaching a younger audience, the Masters will be featured in EA Sports' next edition of the popular "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12" golf game.
The game goes on sale March 29, a week before the Masters, and will be available for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation. It will be the first time Augusta National has allowed its course to be used for a video game.
Proceeds from the game will go to the "Masters Tournament Foundation," a charity that will allow Augusta to invest in developmental programs.
Anthony Kim wants to quiet the gossipers with good golf in '11
Anthony Kim wants 2011 to be a season that changes his career.He hopes it might be enough to change his reputation, too.
One of the most dynamic young talents in golf? That's what people were saying two years ago, when Kim blew away the field with a record score at Quail Hollow, then shot 65 in the final round at Congressional to win the AT&T National. It made him the youngest American since Tiger Woods to win twice in one year.
If that wasn't enough, he brought energy and attitude to the Ryder Cup and was the catalyst of a rare U.S. victory.
That now seems like a long time ago.
It's not that the 25-year-old Californian has disappeared. He is still among the elite at No. 31 in the world, having reached as high as No. 6 toward the end of 2008. And only PGA Tour winners enjoy the oceanfront room that Kim has at Kapalua, where the Tournament of Champions kicks off a new season Thursday.
But he has a bitter taste about how last year ended.
He won the Houston Open in a playoff, then closed with a 65 at Augusta National to finish third. Thumb surgery a month later kept him out of golf for three months, and he failed to make the Ryder Cup team when he couldn't make a cut upon his return.
Kim still managed to make news, or at least gossip columns.
He has a zest for living, which first came to life with tales from his Ryder Cup celebration at Valhalla and carried on through Twitter and blog reports from a night in the Las Vegas casinos in October.
Is he closer to being like Tiger Woods or John Daly?
"That's a hell of a question," Kim said, smiling at first before pausing to contemplate.
Daly makes more news off the course these days, so it's easy to overlook an amazing talent that brought him a PGA Championship title as a 25-year-old rookie in 1991 and a British Open victory at St. Andrews. Kim found it coincidental that after headlines he made in Las Vegas in October, Daly was the only tour player who reached out to him in a text message.
"Both have majors," Kim said. "I think I'm closer to Tiger because I love putting in the time. Now, I've gotten away from this. But I definitely feel like I'm closer as far as the values of the Asian culture and putting in time, not worrying about tough times. In a lot of ways, I think people see me as a guy who likes to have fun, and that's it. But I care about a lot of things."
Kim is careful not to be motivated for the wrong reasons.
He has trimmed the number of his traveling party and has heard from enough people whom he trusts that playing with the purpose of proving people wrong is the wrong route. Even so, he feels as though fans, the media and players are questioning his devotion to his sport.
"I have a lot of people doubting me, which I like," he said.
When asked why they are skeptical of his future, Kim first mentioned the arrival of so many players in his age group. Indeed, that's what makes golf more intriguing than it has been in years. Martin Kaymer, who just turned 26, last year became the youngest major champion since Woods in 2001. Rory McIlroy won at Quail Hollow at age 20. Ryo Ishikawa was still 18 when he shot 58 to win in Japan. Jason Day won in Dallas, and at 23 is the youngest player at Kapalua.
Slightly older than Kim, and still very young, are the likes of Dustin Johnson and Hunter Mahan.
"A lot of guys played well who are younger, and they're overlooking me, which is fine," Kim said. "It's not that I have something to prove. I know I'm capable of winning golf tournaments."
But it's more than the youth movement bugging Kim.
When asked whether he was troubled about players doubting him because of his activity off the course, Kim's eyes widened and he turned in his chair away from the Orange Bowl game on television.
"One hundred percent. Couldn't have said it any better," he said. "I feel that is a major reason why people doubt me. They don't think I care about golf. It's hard for people who don't know me to say, 'He's 25, having a good time with his friends.' If anyone knows me, they know I'm willing to admit to my mistakes. But when I do something, I want to be the best at it. I'm going to scratch and claw my way up the ladder. People around me see that."
Kim doesn't see the need to explain what happened in Las Vegas. If there was a lesson that came out of that, it was understanding that it's better to be the center of attention inside the ropes than under a neon sign.
"I feel obligated to my sponsors to do a better job of not even letting some of these stories come out," he said. "I don't want to be a player no one can relate to. Sure, I've made some mistakes. I know that I was brought up well by two very great people, people that everyone respects. I'm not the type of person to stray off course. Maybe I did for a minute, but I've realized that I've got to have a game plan — not for my next round, but for my life."
Leave it to Kim to draw an analogy from George St. Pierre, who said the Ultimate Fighting Championship was a lot like golf. He didn't get the sense the UFC welterweight knew much about golf, but his words stuck with Kim.
"He said once you make the golf swing and hit the shot, you can't control it. You have to do everything before the shot to control the outcome," Kim said. "I'm going to do whatever I can to control what I can."
That starts this week at Kapalua, and his hope is to carry that through this year and beyond to get his name back in the conversation for all the right reasons.
G-Mac banks a million a month
Graeme McDowell is on course to become Ulster’s richest-ever sportsman after his stellar year which climaxed with a US Open triumph and Ryder Cup glory.The 31-year-old Portrush golfer, awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List, has signed three lucrative new sponsorship deals that will earn him an estimated £1m a month.
The new endorsement deals come at the end of a year which saw McDowell move into the sporting superstar bracket thanks to his Ryder Cup heroics — his putt clinching victory for Europe against America — and US Open success at Pebble Beach.
‘G-Mac’ also won a play-off against Tiger Woods in the Chevron World Challenge in California last month and earlier in the year laid the foundations for the Ryder Cup win when he secured the Wales Open at Celtic Manor, also the venue for Europe’s clash with the Americans.
McDowell is now up to fifth in the latest world rankings — the highest position ever for a Northern Ireland player — and competes in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, the traditional season-opener on the US Tour, at the Kapalua resort in Hawaii, starting from tomorrow.
McDowell is the highest ranked player in the 34-man tournament, which has no cut.
The Ulsterman’s worldwide success over the past 12 months make him an obvious target for the major sponsors given his global marketability.
McDowell will make his seasonal debut in Hawaii tomorrow as the new face of golf equipment company Srixon, replacing Jim Furyk — the US Tour’s player of the year — who has moved to TaylorMade. The multi-year deal is worth a reputed €2.25 million annually to McDowell, who was a Callaway player when he won the US Open last June.
McDowell has also signed deals with Mastercard and shoe manufacturer Ecco.
He has existing arrangements with Swiss watch manufacturer Audemars Piquet, Middle East business empire Al Naboodah, Dublin tailor Louis Copeland and private jets company Marquis Jet.
But despite the megadeals McDowell is determined to keep his feet on the ground.
He said: “It’s important I re-adust my focus and take the positives and confidence out of this year and pour it back into next season.”
McDowell spent Christmas at home in Portrush, re-charging the batteries for a crack at the US Tour.
Lining up against McDowell in the Tournament of Champions tomorrow will be Hunter Mahan, whom G-Mac beat in the singles to secure Europe’s Ryder Cup victory. McDowell has also retained membership of the European Tour. His fellow Ulsterman Rory McIlroy, whose win at Quail Hollow last year earned him a place in the Hawaii field, has decided to wait until the Abu Dhabi HSBC tournament on January 20 before making his competitive return.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Looking back to some key memories of '10 between the ropes
Framed photographs large and small hang in every room and adorn the walls of every corridor inside the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, memories of Arnold Palmer and more than a half-century he devoted to golf.
He is flinging his visor after winning the Masters. He is posing with one of his best friends, Dow Finsterwald, and his longtime rival, Jack Nicklaus. In one picture, he is wearing a Chinese hat during his first trip to China to design a golf course.
Unmistakable in nearly every photograph is a smile.
In his design company office one day in December, he was asked why he was always seemed happy.
“I loved what I was doing,” he said. “I got to play a great game. I have a great life, a great family, all the things you could want. I love the feeling of getting out of bed each morning.”
Golf featured its share of unpleasant moments this year—Tiger Woods, leaning back against his locker at Sawgrass with his eyes closed after pulling out of The Players Championship, perhaps the low point on the golf course in a year filled with them; Dustin Johnson, erasing his scorecard to change a 5 to a 7 after being told he was in a bunker on the last hole of the PGA Championship; Paul Casey, facing reporters who wanted answers he didn’t have as to why he was left off the Ryder Cup team.
The photos of Palmer are a reminder that it’s a great game, and a great life. As always, there were plenty of poignant moments from a year on the PGA Tour that go beyond birdies and bogeys and bunkers:
Lee Westwood shot 68 in the final round of the Honda Classic, and when he signed his card, he was in a seven-way tie for 15th.
He retreated to the bar with his agent, Chubby Chandler, and watched the follies unfold as one player after another dropped shots coming in at PGA National. When it was over, Westwood was in a three-way tie for ninth, the difference of about $87,000.
“The best drink we’ve ever had,” Chandler said.
Paul Goydos didn’t want to wait for officials to stop play, not when he was facing a tough tee shot on the 11th hole at Riviera in a cold rain that was starting to come down sideways.
That’s when he declared that the tee box was in casual water and someone would have to call for the maintenance crew. He figured that would take enough time for the tour to decide to suspend play. What he didn’t realize was the maintenance shed was right behind him.
In less than a minute, three workers arrived carrying squeegees.
Goydos was startled, finally breaking the silence by saying under his breath, “Well, that didn’t work out too well.”
Play on.
Tiger Woods was in the second-to-last group at the U.S. Open, five shots behind Dustin Johnson. He was playing with Gregory Havret. The final group was Johnson and Graeme McDowell, none having ever contended in a major.
Before leaving the putting green and walking up the steps to the first tee, Woods hit a 50-foot lag putt toward the hole at the far edge of the green. He left it 5 feet short, then settled over that putt.
He missed. Woods reached with his putter to bring the ball back to him, stood over it, and missed it again. He pulled the ball back and missed a third time, then missed a fourth time. With that, he handed the putter to his caddie and headed to the tee.
On the first hole, he three-putted for bogey. Within an hour, his U.S. Open hopes were gone.
Phil Mickelson walked off the 10th tee at St. Andrews during a practice round and saw the concession stands. His eyes lit up, not just because he was hungry, but it was an opportunity for one of his favorite treats. Mickelson is known to walk up to a food stand at tournaments and announce he’s buying for everyone in line.
He took his wallet from his bag and told his caddie and coach he would be with them in a few minutes. It didn’t take long for Mickelson to rejoin them, however, and he wasn’t happy.
It was Sunday. The concession stand was closed.
For the last several years, Ryder Cup officials have arranged for the U.S. captain to make a tour of the big cities leading to the matches. That stop includes Los Angeles in September, and it was a natural for Corey Pavin. He grew up in Ventura County and starred on the UCLA golf team.
The media turnout was strong, but Pavin seemed an afterthought midway through his news conference. He noticed several reporters stepping outside to answer cell phones. One Ryder Cup official thought it extremely rude.
Only later did they learn Joe Torre had announced he was retiring as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Ryder Cup charter to Wales was either oversold or there were not enough seats. Whatever the case, two caddies were bumped from the charter – Frank Williams, the caddie for Stewart Cink, and Steve Williams, who works for Tiger Woods.
How fitting.
Not only are they close friends, but Frank Williams doesn’t like traveling to Britain and Steve Williams doesn’t like the Ryder Cup.
“You know why Stevie hates the Ryder Cup so much don’t you?” Frank Williams said. “Because up until this year, he wasn’t used to working for a check that small.”
One of the most entertaining nights of the year is when European Tour caddies are feted – and roasted – at the HSBC Champions. Fanny Sunesson won an award for “misclub of the year.”
Turns out her boss, Henrik Stenson, hit a 3-wood on the 18th hole at Dubai that not only failed to clear the large pond fronting the green, it barely made it to the water.
For her honor, Sunesson won two bottles of fine wine. Stenson, with mock anger, marched onto the stage and took one of the bottles before returning to his seat. He came back on stage as Sunesson explained what happened.
It dates to the previous year at the Masters, when Stenson wanted to hit 3-wood for his second shot on the 15th. Knowing that the Swede tends to hit his 3-wood low and hard, she reminded him he would have to hit a high, soft cut. Stenson instead drilled it over the green, almost into the water behind the green.
“So we get to Dubai and he wants to hit 3-wood to the green,” Sunesson explains. “Now this was the right shot for his 3-wood. And tell them what you did, Henrik.”
Stenson, slowly bowed his head and leaned toward the microphone.
“Soft cut,” he said.
After the third round of the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, some 200 fans stood behind the railing outside the clubhouse after Woods walked by to sign his card. One man in the middle of the pack led a chant in Chinese that, based on the cadence, most likely was, “We want Tiger! We want Tiger!” This went on for a few minutes until a lone voice in broken English called out, “Tiger, where are you?”
The chant started again, but he had left through a back door to meet with sponsors.
A month later during the pro-am at the Chevron World Challenge, Woods had to walk along a cart path toward the 13th fairway. Three times, he stopped and posed for pictures with fans, something he has never done.
Something old, something new.
-Doug Ferguson, AP
He is flinging his visor after winning the Masters. He is posing with one of his best friends, Dow Finsterwald, and his longtime rival, Jack Nicklaus. In one picture, he is wearing a Chinese hat during his first trip to China to design a golf course.
Unmistakable in nearly every photograph is a smile.
In his design company office one day in December, he was asked why he was always seemed happy.
“I loved what I was doing,” he said. “I got to play a great game. I have a great life, a great family, all the things you could want. I love the feeling of getting out of bed each morning.”
Golf featured its share of unpleasant moments this year—Tiger Woods, leaning back against his locker at Sawgrass with his eyes closed after pulling out of The Players Championship, perhaps the low point on the golf course in a year filled with them; Dustin Johnson, erasing his scorecard to change a 5 to a 7 after being told he was in a bunker on the last hole of the PGA Championship; Paul Casey, facing reporters who wanted answers he didn’t have as to why he was left off the Ryder Cup team.
The photos of Palmer are a reminder that it’s a great game, and a great life. As always, there were plenty of poignant moments from a year on the PGA Tour that go beyond birdies and bogeys and bunkers:
Lee Westwood shot 68 in the final round of the Honda Classic, and when he signed his card, he was in a seven-way tie for 15th.
He retreated to the bar with his agent, Chubby Chandler, and watched the follies unfold as one player after another dropped shots coming in at PGA National. When it was over, Westwood was in a three-way tie for ninth, the difference of about $87,000.
“The best drink we’ve ever had,” Chandler said.
Paul Goydos didn’t want to wait for officials to stop play, not when he was facing a tough tee shot on the 11th hole at Riviera in a cold rain that was starting to come down sideways.
That’s when he declared that the tee box was in casual water and someone would have to call for the maintenance crew. He figured that would take enough time for the tour to decide to suspend play. What he didn’t realize was the maintenance shed was right behind him.
In less than a minute, three workers arrived carrying squeegees.
Goydos was startled, finally breaking the silence by saying under his breath, “Well, that didn’t work out too well.”
Play on.
Tiger Woods was in the second-to-last group at the U.S. Open, five shots behind Dustin Johnson. He was playing with Gregory Havret. The final group was Johnson and Graeme McDowell, none having ever contended in a major.
Before leaving the putting green and walking up the steps to the first tee, Woods hit a 50-foot lag putt toward the hole at the far edge of the green. He left it 5 feet short, then settled over that putt.
He missed. Woods reached with his putter to bring the ball back to him, stood over it, and missed it again. He pulled the ball back and missed a third time, then missed a fourth time. With that, he handed the putter to his caddie and headed to the tee.
On the first hole, he three-putted for bogey. Within an hour, his U.S. Open hopes were gone.
Phil Mickelson walked off the 10th tee at St. Andrews during a practice round and saw the concession stands. His eyes lit up, not just because he was hungry, but it was an opportunity for one of his favorite treats. Mickelson is known to walk up to a food stand at tournaments and announce he’s buying for everyone in line.
He took his wallet from his bag and told his caddie and coach he would be with them in a few minutes. It didn’t take long for Mickelson to rejoin them, however, and he wasn’t happy.
It was Sunday. The concession stand was closed.
For the last several years, Ryder Cup officials have arranged for the U.S. captain to make a tour of the big cities leading to the matches. That stop includes Los Angeles in September, and it was a natural for Corey Pavin. He grew up in Ventura County and starred on the UCLA golf team.
The media turnout was strong, but Pavin seemed an afterthought midway through his news conference. He noticed several reporters stepping outside to answer cell phones. One Ryder Cup official thought it extremely rude.
Only later did they learn Joe Torre had announced he was retiring as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Ryder Cup charter to Wales was either oversold or there were not enough seats. Whatever the case, two caddies were bumped from the charter – Frank Williams, the caddie for Stewart Cink, and Steve Williams, who works for Tiger Woods.
How fitting.
Not only are they close friends, but Frank Williams doesn’t like traveling to Britain and Steve Williams doesn’t like the Ryder Cup.
“You know why Stevie hates the Ryder Cup so much don’t you?” Frank Williams said. “Because up until this year, he wasn’t used to working for a check that small.”
One of the most entertaining nights of the year is when European Tour caddies are feted – and roasted – at the HSBC Champions. Fanny Sunesson won an award for “misclub of the year.”
Turns out her boss, Henrik Stenson, hit a 3-wood on the 18th hole at Dubai that not only failed to clear the large pond fronting the green, it barely made it to the water.
For her honor, Sunesson won two bottles of fine wine. Stenson, with mock anger, marched onto the stage and took one of the bottles before returning to his seat. He came back on stage as Sunesson explained what happened.
It dates to the previous year at the Masters, when Stenson wanted to hit 3-wood for his second shot on the 15th. Knowing that the Swede tends to hit his 3-wood low and hard, she reminded him he would have to hit a high, soft cut. Stenson instead drilled it over the green, almost into the water behind the green.
“So we get to Dubai and he wants to hit 3-wood to the green,” Sunesson explains. “Now this was the right shot for his 3-wood. And tell them what you did, Henrik.”
Stenson, slowly bowed his head and leaned toward the microphone.
“Soft cut,” he said.
After the third round of the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, some 200 fans stood behind the railing outside the clubhouse after Woods walked by to sign his card. One man in the middle of the pack led a chant in Chinese that, based on the cadence, most likely was, “We want Tiger! We want Tiger!” This went on for a few minutes until a lone voice in broken English called out, “Tiger, where are you?”
The chant started again, but he had left through a back door to meet with sponsors.
A month later during the pro-am at the Chevron World Challenge, Woods had to walk along a cart path toward the 13th fairway. Three times, he stopped and posed for pictures with fans, something he has never done.
Something old, something new.
-Doug Ferguson, AP
10 PGA Tour pros that are happy to leave 2010 in the rearview
With another New Year's Day upon us, it's an occasion to again make those annual resolutions. Whether it's a promise to lose weight or a pledge to be more patient, it's the time of year to analyze the events of 2010 and see what can be done to make 2011 even better.
This is very true for many of the players who compete on the PGA TOUR. There's always room for improvement and you don't need to cast the net far from the boat to bring in a number of candidates that fit that description. Here are 10 players we expect to see better things from over the next twelve months.
Stewart Cink: He didn't have a bad 2010, but it wasn't what he expected as a follow-up to the 2009 season that saw him win his first major championship. It was his first winless season since 2007 and his world ranking almost tripled to No. 46. With Cink the difference between good in great lies with the putter and last year was only average at best.
Sergio Garcia: His highlight for the year was being an assistant captain on the victorious European Ryder Cup team. Garcia may or may not ever reach the level of excellence that many projected for him and he may never win a major championship, but there's no question that he's 100-times better than he showed in 2010, when his world ranking plummeted to 78th.
Padraig Harrington: He missed the cut in three of the four major championships and his ranking dropped all the way to No. 23. It was no lower than eighth the four previous seasons. He's starting to round into form and played well after the Ryder Cup, winning an event on the Asian Tour.
J.B. Holmes: He had his moments -- especially early -- and played well in the two majors for which he qualified. His 66 at Whistling Straits got a little attention, but he failed to follow it up. He's still long (No. 5 in driving) and wild (No. 183 in accuracy), but that's always been the case. Overall the 2010 season was another successful step toward regaining the prominence he achieved as part of the 2008 Ryder Cup team. Expect a return in 2011.
Ryuji Imada: He battled a rib injury for much of the season and was in danger of finishing outside the Top 125 until a late-year rally. He's really accurate, but suffers from lack of length off the tee. He needs to improve his weekend performances, too; Imada's scoring average in the third round ranked 148th on TOUR. He likes to play the West Coast events and could light the candle on a fast start at Torrey Pines or Phoenix.
Anthony Kim: Before his surgery, Kim looked like he was on the fast track to greatness. Afterwards, he looked like he would have struggled on the mini-tours. He missed four of six cuts, with a highlight being T-48 at the BMW Championship. The question remains whether he's mature and disciplined enough to get it back.
Geoff Ogilvy: After winning the first event of the season, Ogilvy retreated into a quietly successful season, which saw him threaten at the Deutsche Bank Championship and qualify for The TOUR Championship. Otherwise he did little else and admitted at East Lake that he was "overgolfed." The media selfishly wants more from Ogilvy, primarily because he's the best interview on TOUR.
Brandt Snedeker: Again, not a bad season, but not the breakthrough season that's come to be expected. He had five top-10s in 2010, including a second at Torrey Pines and and a tie for eighth at the U.S. Open. Hard to believe it's been three seasons since his only TOUR win.
Camilo Villegas: How crazy are the expections for Villegas? He only missed two cuts, won a tournament and finished 20th in the FedExCup standings. And this guy can play better? You betcha. He was only a contender in one major, where he tied for eighth at the PGA. Look for him to get involved in the major equation this year.
Tiger Woods: Any questions?
This is very true for many of the players who compete on the PGA TOUR. There's always room for improvement and you don't need to cast the net far from the boat to bring in a number of candidates that fit that description. Here are 10 players we expect to see better things from over the next twelve months.
Stewart Cink: He didn't have a bad 2010, but it wasn't what he expected as a follow-up to the 2009 season that saw him win his first major championship. It was his first winless season since 2007 and his world ranking almost tripled to No. 46. With Cink the difference between good in great lies with the putter and last year was only average at best.
Sergio Garcia: His highlight for the year was being an assistant captain on the victorious European Ryder Cup team. Garcia may or may not ever reach the level of excellence that many projected for him and he may never win a major championship, but there's no question that he's 100-times better than he showed in 2010, when his world ranking plummeted to 78th.
Padraig Harrington: He missed the cut in three of the four major championships and his ranking dropped all the way to No. 23. It was no lower than eighth the four previous seasons. He's starting to round into form and played well after the Ryder Cup, winning an event on the Asian Tour.
J.B. Holmes: He had his moments -- especially early -- and played well in the two majors for which he qualified. His 66 at Whistling Straits got a little attention, but he failed to follow it up. He's still long (No. 5 in driving) and wild (No. 183 in accuracy), but that's always been the case. Overall the 2010 season was another successful step toward regaining the prominence he achieved as part of the 2008 Ryder Cup team. Expect a return in 2011.
Ryuji Imada: He battled a rib injury for much of the season and was in danger of finishing outside the Top 125 until a late-year rally. He's really accurate, but suffers from lack of length off the tee. He needs to improve his weekend performances, too; Imada's scoring average in the third round ranked 148th on TOUR. He likes to play the West Coast events and could light the candle on a fast start at Torrey Pines or Phoenix.
Anthony Kim: Before his surgery, Kim looked like he was on the fast track to greatness. Afterwards, he looked like he would have struggled on the mini-tours. He missed four of six cuts, with a highlight being T-48 at the BMW Championship. The question remains whether he's mature and disciplined enough to get it back.
Geoff Ogilvy: After winning the first event of the season, Ogilvy retreated into a quietly successful season, which saw him threaten at the Deutsche Bank Championship and qualify for The TOUR Championship. Otherwise he did little else and admitted at East Lake that he was "overgolfed." The media selfishly wants more from Ogilvy, primarily because he's the best interview on TOUR.
Brandt Snedeker: Again, not a bad season, but not the breakthrough season that's come to be expected. He had five top-10s in 2010, including a second at Torrey Pines and and a tie for eighth at the U.S. Open. Hard to believe it's been three seasons since his only TOUR win.
Camilo Villegas: How crazy are the expections for Villegas? He only missed two cuts, won a tournament and finished 20th in the FedExCup standings. And this guy can play better? You betcha. He was only a contender in one major, where he tied for eighth at the PGA. Look for him to get involved in the major equation this year.
Tiger Woods: Any questions?
Els named One of the Most Positive Athletes in the World
Celebrate Positive announced Dec. 29 that PGA TOUR star Ernie Els has been named one of the “Top 5 Most Positive Athletes in the World” by the United Nations NGO Voting Academy comprised of United Nations NGOs, such as Rotary International, Pathways To Peace and Sister Cities International.
Autism Speaks nominated Els for the inaugural 2010 United Nations NGO Positive Peace Awards in the Professional Athlete category. This award, viewed as a 21st century peace prize, honors and recognizes individuals, businesses, athletes, sports teams, entertainers and schools around the world for their positive contributions. Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers won this year’s award.
The UN NGO Voting Academy used an established criteria of an athlete’s community involvement and impact on their community to determine this year’s finalists.
“Celebrate Positive congratulates Ernie Els for exemplifying what giving back to the community means,” said Scott Pederson, pesident and CEO ofCelebrate Positive. “Ernie is a wonderful example for all of us to follow internationally.”
Els is involved with a variety of charitable endeavors, including his participation in the Autism Speaks award-winning Ad Council public-service announcement. In addition to the PSA, which included his autistic son, Ben, Els also wore the Autism Speaks puzzle piece pin during tournaments, advocated for autism during interviews and started the Els for Autism Foundation as a further cause advocation.
“His openness and advocacy has helped other parents and directed them to where they can learn more or get a diagnosis so they can get treatments”, said Dana Marnane, vice president of awareness and events at Autism Speaks. “Ernie's participation in our Ad Council campaign has helped to raise autism awareness and provides hope for parents everywhere.”
Rotary International, with more than 33,000 Clubs and 1.2 million members in more than 200 countries, serves on the United Nations NGO Voting Academy.
“We at Rotary International are honored to serve on the voting committee for the United Nations NGO Positive Peace Awards,” said RI General Secretary Ed Futa. “Every day, Rotary’s 1.2 million members address the question, How do we make our world a better place? How appropriate that these awards recognize those individuals and organizations who are asking the same question and taking the necessary steps to achieve positive change in our world.”
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