CBS Dallas / Fort Worth » golf

Bradley Keeps Lead After 3 Rounds At Nelson

anniepotasznik — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:11:57 +0000

IRVING, TX – MAY 18: Keegan Bradley hits a shot during the third round of the 2013 HP Byron Nelson Championship at the TPC Four Seasons Resort on May 18, 2013 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

IRVING (AP) - Keegan Bradley still hasn’t gotten things right on the 18th hole at the Byron Nelson Championship, even when finally going left.

The bogeys on the closing hole at TPC Four Seasons haven’t cost him the lead yet.

Bradley overcame consecutive bogeys early and bogeyed No. 18 for the third round in a row Saturday to finish with a 2-under 68 that kept him in the lead.

“(Sunday) is the day. Right down the middle,” Bradley said about that last hole. “I’m due!”

Bradley’s 13-under 197 total gave him a one-stroke lead over Sang-Moon Bae, who had his third consecutive 66. Tom Gillis was two strokes back after a 67.

After going way right off the tee at No. 18 the first two rounds, Bradley smashed his drive Saturday down the left side toward the water. The ball stayed dry, but settled behind a large rock and forced him to punch back into the fairway. His approach settled on the front edge of the green and he almost saved par — the ball rolled just over the lip of the cup.

“I thought I made the putt, which would have been exciting,” he said. “But 5 on that hole from where I hit it off the tee is a pretty good score.”

On Sunday, Bradley will be trying to win at TPC Four Seasons for the second time in three years. He could also become the Nelson’s first wire-to-wire winner since Tom Watson led alone at the end of all four rounds in 1980.

“Should be easier than having to come from behind,” he said. “I have felt comfortable out there, haven’t felt nervous. I feel like I put the time in, I feel like this is where I should be when I play well is near the lead or in the lead.”

Bradley got his first PGA Tour victory as a rookie at the Nelson two years ago. He followed that by winning the PGA Championship later that season and the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational in 2012. The nephew of LPGA great Pat Bradley came from behind on the final day for all of those wins

After following his opening course-record 60 with a 69 on Friday, Bradley started the third round with a three-stroke lead. He stayed alone at top of the leaderboard throughout.

Scott Piercy’s 66 matched Bae and three others for the best round on a breezy Texas day. Piercy was fourth at 10 under, two strokes ahead of Gary Woodland (68), Harris English (68), John Huh (69) and 2011 Masters champ Charl Schwartzel (69).

When 83 players made the cut of even par, there were threesomes instead of traditional twosomes for the third round. That put Bradley in the same group with Bae and Gillis, who started the round tied for second place.

A secondary cut trimmed the field to 72 players for the final round, when Bradley plays with Bae in the final group. Gillis is paired with Piercy.

“Keegan is playing pretty good, but you got to play ‘em all, see how it shakes out,” said Gillis, who missed the cuts in his previous five tournaments.

Gillis was the last player in the field with a bogey Saturday, when he three-putted from 20 feet at the 203-yard 17th. He got that stroke right back when he blasted out of a greenside bunker for an unexpected birdie at No. 18.

“Makes dinner taste better, that’s for sure,” Gillis said.

Bradley first got to 12 under with a 13-foot birdie at the 505-yard third hole and saved par at the next hole after driving into a fairway bunker.

His consecutive bogeys came when he two-putted for bogey after missing the green at the par-3 fifth and then drove into the rough at No. 6. But after a long wait to tee off at the 542-yard seventh hole, Bradley got to the green in two and two-putted from 14 feet for a birdie.

When Bradley’s drive at No. 11 settled just a few inches above the top edge of a bunker, it looked like he might have some trouble. But he hit his approach shot onto the green, 34 feet from the cup, and sank the birdie putt to get to 13 under. He blasted within 12 feet from a greenside bunker at the par-5 16th hole for birdie.

Bae, the 26-year-old South Korean who has 11 international victories but none on the PGA Tour, was quickly within a stroke of the lead after birdies on the first two holes. He made a 9-footer on the first and curled in a 32-foot birdie putt at the 223-yard second hole.

A 12-footer for birdie at the eighth hole got Bae to 10 under, again only a stroke back. But Bradley made a 14-foot birdie putt to close out the front nine and made the turn with a two-stroke lead over Bae and Gillis, who also made a birdie from 14 feet at the ninth hole to get to 10 under.

“Only play just my game,” Bae said when asked how difficult it will be trying to overtake Bradley. “Nobody knows.”

Notes: English twice had three birdies in a row, including approaches of 5-6 feet on holes 11-13 to get to 10 under right after missing a 3-foot par putt at No. 10. … Huh, the 2012 PGA Tour rookie of the year, had an eagle 2 at the 14th hole when he holed a shot from 162 yards. … Two-time major champion Angel Cabrera missed the green at the par-3 fifth hole, but chipped in from 27 feet for his second consecutive birdie to make up for the double-bogey 6 at No. 3. He finished with 11 consecutive pars in a 70 that left him seven strokes off the lead.

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Byron Nelson Moving To New Course In 2019

jeffburkett — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:03:49 +0000

IRVING (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – The Byron Nelson Championship is set to make a move to a course that still has to be built.

Tournament officials and the PGA Tour have signed a 10-year contract with developers of the Trinity Forest golf course with plans to move there in 2019.

The proposed new golf course is the brain child of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and is scheduled to be developed on an old landfill site near Loop 12 and I-45. The deal involves the city of Dallas, AT&T, SMU, First Tee and others.

The Dallas City Council on Wednesday unanimously authorized a 40-year lease with the Company of Trinity Forest Golfers, the nonprofit entity that will control the course. Among the requirements of that deal is that the course host the Nelson.

Dallas City Council member Dwaine Carraway says the course, and what could follow, is a very big deal for an area of town that is largely undeveloped.

This week’s Byron Nelson marks the 30th anniversary of the event being played at the TPC Four Seasons, which has a contract through 2018 to host the event.

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Tiger Wins Players Championship With Strong Finish

ascrouch — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:03:15 +0000

Tiger Woods of the USA shakes hands with Casey Wittenberg after finishing on the 18th green during the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2013 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — One bad tee shot made Tiger Woods appear vulnerable. One clutch par putt and a critical birdie made him look invincible.

Woods closed out The Players Championship on Sunday like he has so many other tournaments: hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch.

His latest unflappable finish helped him secure his fourth victory of 2013 and capture the richest prize on the PGA Tour for the first time in a dozen years.

“I know a lot of people … thought I was done,” said Woods, who has never won four times this early in a season. “But I’m not.”

This one had to be special. Not only did he win on Mother’s Day for the second time in his career with girlfriend and Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn in attendance, but Woods also won the final showdown against Sergio Garcia after a weekend filled with tense stares and sharp words.

Woods and Garcia were tied for the lead with two holes to play before heading in opposite directions. Woods kept his shots on land and made two pars. Garcia hit three balls into the water for a quadruple bogey-double bogey finish.

If there was any satisfaction in beating Garcia again, Woods kept that to himself.

“We just go out there and play,” said Woods, who earned $1.71 million and pushed his season total to over $5.8 million in just seven tournaments. “I had an opportunity to win the golf tournament when I was tied for the lead today, and I thought I handled the situation well and really played well today when I really needed to. And that’s something I’m excited about.”

Woods allowed the final hour to turn into a tense duel by hooking his tee shot into the water on the par-4 14th hole for double bogey. But his short game bailed him out to save par on the 15th and make a sand-save birdie on the 16th. He was solid on the final two holes for a 2-under 70.

“The shot that turned the tide was the putt on 15,” Woods said. “To go double bogey-bogey would have been huge. But to save a putt there and get some momentum going to the next three holes was big.”

Garcia’s finish was messy.

The Spaniard was standing at the 17th tee, staring across to the island green as Woods made his par. He took aim at the flag with his wedge and hung his head when he saw the ball splash short of the green. Then, Garcia hit another one in the water on his way to a quadruple-bogey 7. The meltdown was complete when Garcia hit his tee shot into the water on the 18th.

“It’s always nice to have a chance at beating the No. 1 player in the world, but unfortunately for me, I wasn’t able to this week,” Garcia said.

Woods was in the scoring trailer when Swedish rookie David Lingmerth missed a long birdie putt that would have forced a playoff. It raced by the cup, and Lingmerth three-putted for bogey.

Woods finished on 13-under 275.

He won The Players for the first time since 2001 and became the fifth multiple winner at TPC Sawgrass since The Players moved to this former swamp in 1982. It was his 78th career win on the PGA Tour, four short of the record held by Sam Snead.

Lingmerth closed with a 72 and finished two shots behind, along with Kevin Streelman (67) and Jeff Maggert, who also was tied for the lead until finding the water on the 17th to make double bogey. The 49-year-old Maggert birdied the 18th for a 70.

Garcia took 13 shots to cover the final two holes — 6 over par — and tumbled into a tie for eighth.

Given their public sniping, it was only fitting that Garcia had the best chance to beat Woods.

Their dispute started Saturday when Garcia complained that his shot from the par-5 second fairway was disrupted by cheers from the crowd around Woods, who was some 50 yards away in the trees and fired them up by taking a fairway metal out of his bag. He said Woods should have been paying attention, and it became a war of the words the next two days.

“Not real surprising that he’s complaining about something,” Woods said.

“At least I’m true to myself,” Garcia retorted. “I know what I’m doing, and he can do whatever he wants.”

Woods and Garcia played four tension-free holes to complete the third round Sunday morning, and they shook hands without words when they finished — Woods with a 71, Garcia with a 72 to share the 54-hole lead with Lingmerth.

Afterward, Garcia kept at it, saying Woods is “not the nicest guy on tour.”

Woods had the last laugh — along with the Players trophy. He improved to 53-4 in his PGA Tour career when he has at least a share of the lead going into the final round.

Garcia, when asked if he would have changed anything about the flap with Woods, replied, “It sounds like I was the bad guy here. I was the victim. I don’t have any regrets of anything.”

The real villain was the tricky island green.

It was at the 17th hole where Garcia won The Players in 2008 when Paul Goydos hit into the water in a sudden-death playoff. This time, the island green got its revenge. Garcia hit a wedge and felt he caught it just a little bit thin, which is usually all it takes.

“That hole has been good to me for the most part,” Garcia said. “Today, it wasn’t. That’s the way it is. That’s the kind of hole it is. You’ve got to love it for what it is.”

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Singh Suing PGA Over Proposed Suspension

jeffburkett — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:27:08 +0000

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Vijay Singh is suing the PGA Tour over the way it handled the investigation of his use of deer antler spray.

Singh filed the lawsuit in New York on Wednesday, one week after the tour said it was dropping its case against him. It said the World Anti-Doping Agency said two weeks ago it no longer considers the spray a banned substance except for a positive test.

The lawsuit says the tour had planned to suspend Singh for 90 days.

Singh says he wants to reclaim his reputation and hold the tour responsible for its “unwarranted effort” to suspend him. One of Singh’s attorneys, Jeffrey Rosenblum, says Singh was accused unjustly and that there should not be an asterisk next to the name of the four-time major champion.

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Did Tony Romo Give Up Golfing For Fatherhood?

ascrouch — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:34:50 +0000

Phil Mickelson and Tony Romo shake hands on the 18th hole after finishing their final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 12, 2012 in Pebble Beach, California. Mickelson won with an eight-under-par 64. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Don’t expect to see Tony Romo roaming the fairways anytime soon. Romo will not play the Azalea Invitational in Charleston, S.C., or the Adams Golf Pro-Scratch Championship in Dallas. Additionally, he won’t attempt to qualify for the HP Byron Nelson Championship or the U.S. Open.

So why the change of golfing heart? RJ Choppy believes it’s not because of football … but because he’s a father.

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Tony Romo talk
New School, 105.3 The Fan

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Iraq War Veteran Designs Clubs For Disabled Golfers

angelamartincbs — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:24:30 +0000

GRAPEVINE (CBS 11 NEWS) - They say whatever your age or athletic ability, everyone can play golf, and an Iraq War veteran is proving that anyone includes those bound to a wheelchair.

At Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, Steve Blackman unveiled a set of clubs designed for disabled golfers.

Blackman says he is used to pushing through pain, after suffering 33 concussions during his military career. He now gets around in a wheelchair.

Blackman says he was introduced to golf just one year ago and “got hooked” on golf after a few lessons from golf instructor, David Hillary.

“I watched Steve’s passion for golf really take off from there,” says Hillary.

But Blackman wanted to give disabled golfers, like himself, a break from the extravagant, expensive equipment he’d seen other disabled golfers use.

“So why can’t I make these for the average person in the average wheelchair?” Blackman asked.

With an extended shaft and adjusted angles, Blackman put together what he believes is a winning prototype that will help more disabled vets pursue their passion.

His extended-length golf clubs are designed to be used from an ordinary wheelchair, which will produce shots of similar length to standard-size clubs.

Blackman also wants them priced the same as standard clubs. His next goal is to work with a major manufacturing company to make them widely available.

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DFW’s Most Comfortable Wilderness Retreats

cbsexaminer — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

(Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Do you enjoy the outdoors but not the pesky nuisances of camping? Glamping is taking over nature-enthusiasts who still enjoy modern amenities. There are many places that combine these two worlds around the metroplex, from lakeside resorts to cabins to homes in the trees. Nature is calling you and, at these locales, it will have indoor plumbing.

Cedar Mountain Lodge
6950 Shady Lane
Scurry, TX 75158
(972) 452-3273
www.cedarmtnlodge.com

Cedar Mountain Lodge is large enough for corporate events and adventures; however, what makes this site twinkle amongst the other country stars is the weekend-worthy tree house. Accessible by zip line or golf cart, the tree house, also known as “The Eagle’s Nest,” provides views of a wildlife sanctuary between the countless pecan and oak trees. This cabin in the sky has plentiful views of the great outdoors and standard amenities that one would find on the ground.

Loyd Park Cabins-Joe Pool Lake
3401 Ragland Road
Grand Prairie, TX 75052
(817) 467-2104
www.grandfungp.org

For those who want the lakeside view without waking up next to a family of insects, Joe Pool Lake’s Loyd Park has several cabins to rent out. Each cabin has its own regional Texas theme including Piney Woods, Panhandle, Prairies and Lakes and South Texas Plains. One and two bedroom options are available and if the timing is right, the price could be as low as $100 per night. All cabins have central heating and air, making year-round comfortable dozing by the lake possible and probable.

Inn On Lake Granbury
205 W. Doyle St.
Granbury, TX 76048
(817) 573-0046
www.innonlakegranbury.com

About an hour southwest of Dallas, Granbury awaits those who enjoy small town fun. However Lake Granbury is for those who enjoy big shorelines. Since 2005, the luxurious Inn on Lake Granbury resort has catered to both the high-maintenance guest who needs some pampering and those who just appreciate the view. A waterfall, garden and saltwater pool add to the landscape, and are just a short stroll away from the water. With extras like jetted tubs, balconies, and specially-made breakfasts, the Inn on Lake Granbury is high-class in the country. This site is for adults only to ensure a peaceful and romantic stay.

River Of Love Cabins
Thackerville, OK 73459
(580) 276-9981
www.riveroflove.com

Just an hour north of DFW, the River of Love Cabins in Love County, Thakerville, are a unique destination and worth the short excursion. Near a few thousand acres of wildlife preserve, these cabins allow the birds to sing and the springs to flow. Typical cabin setups are available in the Green Briar Cabin and Red Bud Cabin, albeit beefed up with Jacuzzi’s and other cozy features; however, there is one option that won’t be found anywhere else, the Love Train Caboose. This 1949 Union Pacific Caboose-turned-cabin sleeps two and guarantees sweet dreams about travels near and far. Upon arrival in Thackerville, call the management and they will show you to your cabin.

Arrowhead Resort At Lake Whitney
P.O. Box 1802
Lake Whitney, TX 76692
(888) 412-3044
www.arrowheadatlakewhitney.com

Arrowhead at Lake Whitney resort boasts 20 cabins and rooms, making it a fitting and fun locale for family gatherings and friendly reunions. A family business, this site also has its own restaurant, outdoor swimming pool, lake swimming, and games. All rooms are just a 150 brisk walk to the edge of Lake Whitney. Free wi-fi, a concierge and even on-site boat and canoe rentals will keep the most restless souls busy, along with those who take pleasure in the natural settings, wildlife watching and clean, fresh air.

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Kena Sosa is a freelance writer in Dallas. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

Leishman & Garcia Share Masters Lead

ascrouch — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:33:17 +0000

Marc Leishman of Australia during the first round of the 77th Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 11, 2013 in Augusta, Georgia. (credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

AUGUSTA, Ga. (Sports Network) - Sergio Garcia joined Marc Leishman in the lead at 6-under 66 after Thursday’s first round of the 77th Masters.

Garcia has won an event in four of the last five years on either the PGA or European Tour, but is on the short list of best players without a major championship victory. His best finish at Augusta National was back in 2002, when he took eighth.

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“We all know it was one of those moments where you feel a little frustrated. I felt like I did shoot myself out of that tournament last year, so it probably came out wrong that way I said it, but I know what I meant,” Garcia responded when asked about his comments last year whether he could win here. “It doesn’t change that every week I tee it up, I try to play my best golf and try to give myself a chance at winning.”

Leishman, who won the Travelers Championship last year to get into the field, is making his second start at Augusta National and it is initially proving to be a far better start than his first one.

In his first appearance at the Masters, Leishman shot 72-79 and missed the cut by five strokes.

Dustin Johnson stumbled to a bogey on the 17th to slide one back. The seven- time PGA Tour winner is alone in third place at minus-5.

Former Masters champions Fred Couples and Trevor Immelman both carded 4-under 68s on Thursday. They were joined in fourth place by David Lynn, Rickie Fowler, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Matt Kuchar.

Jim Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, and 2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson are tied for 10th at minus-3. They stand alongside Adam Scott.

Four-time Masters winner Tiger Woods had a 2-under 70. Among those at minus-2 are Brandt Snedeker, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Jason Day.

Defending champion Bubba Watson struggled to a 3-over 75, which left him tied for 64th with Stewart Cink and Henrik Stenson.

Reigning British Open champ Ernie Els opened with a 1-under 71, while PGA Champion Rory McIlroy shot 72 and U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson had a 73.

Ian Poulter (76), Hunter Mahan (76), Padraig Harrington (78) and Nick Watney (78) all struggled in the first round.

Tianlang Guan, 14, opened with a 1-over 73, which left him tied for 46th. He had five bogeys and four birdies in his round, and he has a 3-stroke lead in the low amateur race.

“After a great first tee shot, I felt more comfortable,” Guan stated. “I just want to enjoy the tournament and hit some good shots.”

Garcia got off to a quick start with birdies on one and three. After a couple of pars, he dropped in another birdie effort at the sixth, where his tee shot to the par-3 stopped 15 feet from the hole.

The Spaniard converted back-to-back birdie chances at the ninth and 10th. That got him within one of the lead.

Garcia then cruised to four straight pars. At the par-5 15th, he rolled in an 8-footer for birdie and a share of the lead. Garcia capped his round with a trio of pars.

“I felt so good. I hit so many amazing shots. Even though I was hitting long irons a lot, it felt like I was 10 or 15 feet away all the time, and that’s hard to do on this golf course,” Garcia stated. “I missed a couple tee shots here and there and had to scramble a little. I made a great birdie on 15 and a good par save on 17.”

Leishman opened with a bogey on the first. He erased that mistake with a birdie on the par-4 third. He birdied the eighth to make the turn at minus-1.

The Australian added another birdie with a 25-foot putt on the 10th. After a pair of pars, Leishman caught fire.

He birdied the par-5 13th and followed with another on the 14th, where his approach shot stopped three feet from the hole. Leishman also birdied the par-5 15th and converted his fourth consecutive birdie at the 16th as he poured in a long putt. He parred out to end at 6-under.

“To be here is awesome, and to be sitting here is pretty cool. It’s only Thursday afternoon, so there’s a lot of golf to play, but I feel good about my game,” Leishman stated. “I never really got ahead of myself, because I know that this course can bite you pretty quickly. If you miss it in the wrong spot, you can easily have a bogey, and then double is pretty easy to come by around here.”

Woods tied for 40th last year and that was his worst finish as a pro at Augusta National. He ran off five straight pars to open his round. Woods got on the board with a 4-foot birdie putt at the sixth.

The three-time winner this year got up and down for birdie on the eighth to move to minus-2. He parred four in a row around the turn. Woods notched the third birdie of his round at 13, where he 2-putted from some 60 feet out.

At the 14th, Woods stumbled to the lone bogey of his round. He had some birdie chances coming in, but was unable to convert. Woods parred the last four holes to finish four off the pace after one round.

“I played solid today and got a good round out of it,” Woods stated. “I felt like I putted well today. I left myself some pretty good little par saves and I was able to make those. You continue hitting greens and continue putting the ball in the right spots. I didn’t leave myself the easiest of putts today.”

Watson, who has just five top-10 finishes since winning at Augusta National last year, failed to get anything going on Thursday as he traded a bogey for a birdie from the first. Watson later tripped to bogeys on the fifth and seventh to dip to 2-over par.

After six consecutive pars from the eighth, Watson faltered to another bogey at the 14th. He closed with four pars in a row to end at plus-3. Watson was done in by his putter, as he needed 35 putts to complete his first round.

Since 2000, Tiger Woods is the only repeat winner. while Watson’s fellow lefty, Mike Weir (2003), is the only champion to miss the cut in his title defense.

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Woods Favored, But Challengers Aplenty At Augusta

ascrouch — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:45:25 +0000

Tiger Woods of the United States walks across a green during a practice round prior to the start of the 2013 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2013 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — With ceremonial tee shots from three of golf’s greatest players, the Masters has started on an overcast day.

Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player — with 13 green jackets between them — each struck a ball off the first tee to begin the first major of the year Thursday.

Then they stepped aside for the first group: Sandy Lyle, John Peterson and amateur Nathan Smith. Lyle and Smith both left the opening hole with bogeys.

Four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods comes into the week as the overwhelming favorite. He already has three wins this year and reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.

But Woods has gone eight long years since his last win at Augusta. He’s scheduled to tee off at 10:45 a.m.

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Elf & Slater’s Masters Draft

ascrouch — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:01:28 +0000

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The 2013 Masters kicks off on Thursday from Augusta, and Elf & Slater have made their Masters draft selections.

Check out their teams and vote below!

Jason in LINDALE – Peter Hansen, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson

Ellas in DALLAS – Charl Schwartzel, Hunter Mahan, Adam Scott

Eric in LAS COLINAS – Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood

Bobby in MCKINNEY - Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Keegan Bradley

John in MIDLOTHIAN - Nick Watney, Tiger Woods, Brendt Snedeker

Slater in UPTOWN - Jim Furyk, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose

Elf in PLANO – Webb Simpson, Bo Van Pelt, Rory McIlroy

DJ in IRVING - Zach Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer

Roy in LEWISVILLE - Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Jason Dufner

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Stricker Still Gets Requests For Putting Lessons

KTVTPhil — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:01:23 +0000

HUMBLE (AP) - At some point, Steve Stricker may have to turn down all the requests for putting lessons.

Since straightening out Tiger Woods stroke, Stricker has somewhat facetiously become known as the tour’s resident expert on the greens. He’s still taking grief for it and a handful of players asked him for instruction on Wednesday in advance of this week’s Houston Open.

“I’m hearing it all over the place,” Stricker said. “Some of them are joking and I think some are serious.”

Stricker is happy to help, but doesn’t want to be distracted from his own game. He talked about balancing the two with Dave Stockton Sr., who developed a reputation as a putting guru when he was on tour and now coaches several players.

“He said, what you have to do is, if you’re going to help a guy, just tell the guy, `You never got help from me, so the word doesn’t get out,”‘ Stricker said. “That’s not the way I am, I guess. Makes sense that you still have to pay attention to what you’re doing. Otherwise, you get caught up in everybody else and what they need to fix in their game and your game goes by the wayside all of a sudden.”

Maybe more than ever, Stricker seems to have his focus in the right place.

The 46-year-old Stricker is scheduled to play only 11 events this year. So far, he’s making the most of his limited opportunities, with $1.82 million earned in his three starts.

“It’s only been three events, but I notice the change in myself playing so far,” Stricker said. “I feel like there’s a little bit less pressure on me to perform well, for whatever reason.”

These days, Stricker won’t pick up a club for more than a week after playing in a tournament, then resume practicing about five days before leaving for the next one. After finishing second to Woods at Doral, he returned home to Wisconsin and took in some basketball at the Big Ten tournament in Chicago the following week.

“I always have come out and done fairly well when I’m fresh,” Stricker said. “Whether that’s a mental thing, I don’t know. But I enjoy coming out. I feel like I’m a little bit easier on myself, I’m fresher mentally.”

He’s back at one of his favorite tournaments this week, the one he credits with reviving his career in 2006.

Stricker finished 162nd on the money list in 2005, and needed a sponsor’s exemption from tournament director Steve Timms to play in the Houston Open the following year. He shot a 66 in the final round to finish third, the first of seven top-10s in 2006, and was later named the tour’s comeback player of the year.

“It brings back a lot of good memories,” Stricker said. “(Timms) gave me a spot in `06, when I needed a spot. Played well, and went on to play well that year and ever since really. As long as I’m eligible to come here, I probably will.”

The Houston Open became the run-up event to the Masters in 2007 and organizers embraced the niche, trying to create Augusta-like conditions at Redstone.

This year, the tournament lost that distinction, with the Masters starting later than usual. The Houston Open stayed put in the week after Bay Hill, while the PGA Tour moved the Texas Open in San Antonio to the week before Augusta.

The move on the calendar wasn’t enough to lure Woods, who’s never competed in the Houston Open and has historically played two weeks before majors.

But it was ideal for Rory McIlroy, who slipped to No. 2 in the world after Woods won at Bay Hill. McIlroy hasn’t played since tying for eighth in Doral, the most encouraging performance of an otherwise forgettable start to his season.

“I definitely treat this tournament as its own entity and a tournament that’s worth winning,” McIlroy said. “It’s not a week before the Masters, it works really well.”

He’s comfortable with Woods taking over the top spot in the world rankings, and the spotlight that comes with it. But McIlroy also wants to get in the mix in Houston before heading to Augusta.

“I want to get back to getting into contention in tournaments and trying to win,” McIlroy said. “I think this is a good week to try and get into contention, have a chance with the Masters coming up. I’m just really focused on this week in Houston and trying to play well here.”

Defending champion Hunter Mahan, 2011 winner Phil Mickelson and top-10 players Brandt Snedeker, Louis Oosthuizen and Keegan Bradley are also in the field this week. Bradley is up to No. 10 in the world after three straight top-10 finishes.

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Nike’s Tiger Woods Ad Draws Criticism

ascrouch — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:25:00 +0000

Tiger Woods reacts to an eagle putt on the 6th hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 22, 2013 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) – Maybe winning doesn’t take care of everything.

Nike is causing a social media storm with its latest online ad showing a picture of Tiger Woods overlaid with a quote from him, “Winning takes care of everything.” Woods has used the phrase with reporters since at least 2009 when they ask him about rankings.

The ad, posted on Facebook and Twitter, is supposed to allude to the fact that the golfer recovered from career stumbles to regain his world No. 1 ranking on Monday, which he lost in October 2010. But some say it’s inappropriate in light of Woods’ past marital woes.

It’s the latest controversy for Nike, which has recently had to cut ties with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong and sprinter Oscar Pistorius because of separate scandals.

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Tiger Wins At Bay Hill To Regain Top Ranking

ascrouch — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:17:57 +0000

Tiger Woods bites his putter following a putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 25, 2013 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

ORLANDO (AP) – Tiger Woods is back to No. 1 in the world with a game that look as good as ever.

Woods tied a PGA Tour record Monday by winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the eighth time, and this one had some extra significance. It returned him to the top of the world ranking for the first time since the final week of October 2010, the longest spell of his career.

Woods never let anyone closer than two shots in the final round at Bay Hill that was delayed one day by storms. With a conservative bogey he could afford on the last hole, he closed with a 2-under 70 for a two-shot win over Justin Rose.

Next up is the Masters, where Woods will try to end his five-year drought in the majors.

Woods fell as low as No. 58 in the world as he coped with a crisis in his personal life and injuries to his left leg. One week after he announced he was dating Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn, Woods celebrated his third win of the season, and his sixth going back to Bay Hill a year ago.

“It’s a byproduct of hard work, patience and getting back to winning golf tournaments,” Woods said.

Vonn tweeted moments after his win, “Number 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Like so many other wins, this one was never really close.

Rickie Fowler pulled to within two shots with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, but after he and Woods made bogey on the 15th, Fowler went at the flag on the par-5 16th and came up a few yards short and into the water. Fowler put another ball into the water and made triple bogey.

Woods played it safe on the 18th, and nearly holed a 75-foot par putt that even drew a big smile from the tournament host. He walked off the green waving his putter over his head to acknowledge the fans who had seen this act before.

Woods tied the tour record of eight wins in a single tournament. Sam Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open eight times from 1938 to 1965 at two golf courses. Woods tied his record for most wins at a single golf course, having also won eight times at Torrey Pines, including a U.S. Open.

“I don’t really see anybody touching it for a long time,” Palmer said as Woods was making his way up the 18th fairway. “I had the opportunity to win a tournament five times, and I knew how difficult that was.”

Rose, who played the first two rounds with Woods, closed with a 70 to finish alone in second.

Fowler had to settle for a 73 and a tie for third with Mark Wilson (71), Keegan Bradley (71) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (72).

Already with three wins this year, Woods is closing in on another Snead record — 82 career wins. Woods won for the 77th time on tour.

Rory McIlroy had been No. 1 since he won the PGA Championship last August. He is playing this week at the Houston Open.

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Ex-Marine Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Charities

jeffburkett — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 23:32:58 +0000

DALLAS (AP) - A former Marine has pleaded guilty to mail fraud after admitting that he lied that he’d suffered battle injuries in order to defraud charities of thousands of dollars to feed a golf habit.

A Justice Department statement says Michael Duye Campbell entered his plea on Wednesday before a federal judge in Dallas. The Houston man faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced June 19.

Campbell defrauded charities out of at least $40,000 as he pursued his ambition of playing on the PGA Tour.

The 30-year-old Campbell lived in the Dallas area as recently as 2010. Military records show he served in the Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004, but the records do not support his claim to have been a combat veteran who suffered a traumatic brain injury.

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Dallas Judge Stops Auction Of Masters Jacket

jeffburkett — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:15:44 +0000

DALLAS (AP) - A judge in Dallas is ordering an auction company to hold onto a champion’s green jacket from the Masters golf tournament until ownership can be determined at trial.

Judge Emily Tobolowsky granted Augusta National Golf Club a temporary injunction Monday to stop Dallas-based Heritage Auctions from selling the jacket won by Art Wall Jr. in 1959. Last month the club, which claims the jacket was stolen from there, was granted a temporary restraining order days before it was to be auctioned.

Local media reports Stephen Pyles of Florida, who paid about $61,000 for the jacket at auction last year, now wants Heritage to sell it.

Pyles says there’s no proof the jacket was stolen and disputes the club’s claims that Masters jackets are supposed to remain there.

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Rory McIlroy Withdraws Mid-Round From Honda Classic

ascrouch — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:25:31 +0000

Caddie J.P Fitzgerald signals to World number one and defending champion, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland that his approach shot is in the water on the 16th hole where he took a triple bogey seven during the second round of the Honda Classic on March 1, 2013 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

CBS SPORTS – Rory McIlroy withdrew from the Honda Classic on Friday after posting a +7 score through eight holes.

This marks the third consecutive tournament that he has bowed out of early, and the Rory-hating vultures are surely encircling his half-alive golf game.

McIlroy told reporters on his way to his car that he was not in a good place mentally.

McIlroy added there’s nothing physically wrong. When asked about his swing, McIlroy said, “Yeah, I really don’t know what’s going on.”

Later, the PGA Tour tweeted that McIlroy withdrew due to wisdom-tooth pain. It’s not a good look for the tour to have its second-most-popular player and the No. 1 golfer in the world walking off the course in the middle of a round.

McIlroy issued the following statement:

“I sincerely apologize to The Honda Classic and PGA Tour for my sudden withdrawal. I have been suffering with a sore wisdom tooth, which is due to come out in the near future. It began bothering me again last night so I relieved it with Advil. It was very painful again this morning, and I was simply unable to concentrate. It was really bothering me and had begun to affect my playing partners. I came here with every intention of defending my Honda Classic title. Even though my results haven’t revealed it, I really felt like I was rounding a corner…”

McIlroy must provide a doctor’s note to the PGA Tour within 14 days to avoid being fined. Yes, the PGA Tour requires a doctor’s note to avoid punishment for withdrawing from a tournament.

READ MORE AT CBSSPORTS.COM

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Tiger Joins Vacationing Obama For Golf Round

ascrouch — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:33:39 +0000

PALM CITY, Fla. (AP) — President Barack Obama teed it up with Tiger Woods on Sunday.

The White House confirmed that the President and the world’s most famous golfer played a round at a secluded, exclusive yacht and golf club on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Once the sport’s dominant player before his career was sidetracked by scandal, Woods joined Obama at the Floridian, where Obama is spending the long Presidents Day weekend. The two had met before, but Sunday was the first time they played together.

The White House, which has promised to be the most open and transparent in history, has prohibited any media coverage of Obama’s golf outing.

The foursome also included Jim Crane, a Houston businessman who owns the Floridian and baseball’s Houston Astros, and outgoing U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, a former mayor of Dallas, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Crane and Kirk also were part of Obama’s foursome on Saturday, the White House said.

Obama, an avid golfer, also received some instruction Saturday and played a few holes with Butch Harmon, Woods’ former swing coach.

Initial word that the First Duffer would play a round with the world’s No. 2 player didn’t come from the White House, but instead came from veteran golf journalist Tim Rosaforte, who announced it on Twitter. Rosaforte’s late-morning tweet said: “The president is arriving at the Floridian range. Awaiting is Tiger Woods and club owner Jim Crane. Historic day in golf. Their first round.”

White House confirmation of Woods’ participation came about two hours later, following multiple appeals from traveling White House reporters.

Golf Digest reported on its website that Obama spent eight hours Saturday with Harmon, playing 27 holes and hitting balls in Harmon’s studio, and then managed to coordinate Sunday’s round with Woods. The report said the original plan called for Obama and Woods, a Florida resident, to play at Woods’ home club — The Medalist Golf Club, a half-hour away in Hobe Sound. But they eventually opted for the Floridian.

Woods departed Sunday after the first 18 holes, with Obama staying on to play another nine, the report said.

“Just to see the interaction between the two on the range was pretty neat,” Harmon told Golf Digest. “The President said to Tiger: ‘The last tournament you played was fun to watch. It’s good to see you play well again.’ You could tell he meant it. It just wasn’t a throw it out compliment.”

It seems Obama and Woods — the first black men at the top of their respective fields — have spent the past few years inching toward Sunday’s meeting on the fairway.

They met in January 2009, during Obama’s inauguration in Washington. Four months later, in April, Woods visited the White House and Obama received him in the Oval Office.

Woods’ personal life imploded later in 2009 after revelations that he had engaged in multiple extramarital affairs, leading to divorce. He followed with a public apology and announced he was taking an indefinite break from golf. Shortly after Woods announced he was coming out of seclusion, Obama said in an interview with Fox News Channel that Woods will still be a “terrific” golfer despite his personal issues.

After returning to the sport, Woods went two years without winning, but his game is back on track and he currently is ranked No. 2 in the world. Woods won the last tournament he played, three weeks ago in San Diego.

The White House made clear from the start of Obama’s trip that there would be no coverage of him because he would be on vacation with no plans to leave the club, which remained open to members and their guests.

It arranged for the pool of reporters who traveled with Obama to bunk at a Holiday Inn about a 20-minute drive away in Port St. Lucie. Whenever the reporters were brought to the Floridian on the off chance that Obama might leave the property, they were taken no further than a maintenance shed beyond the club gates but on the edge of the grounds.

The presence at the Floridian of a professional journalist who tweeted about Obama’s game as he was playing, while White House reporters essentially were locked out, brought a sharp response from Ed Henry, the Fox News Channel correspondent who also is president of the White House Correspondents’ Association.

“A broad cross section of our members from print, radio, online and TV have today expressed extreme frustration to me about having absolutely no access to the president of the United States this entire weekend,” Henry said in a statement. “There is a very simple but important principle we will continue to fight for today and in the days ahead: transparency.”

In response, Earnest, the White House spokesman said: “The press access granted by the White House today is entirely consistent with the press access offered for previous presidential golf outings. It’s also consistent with the press access promised to the White House Press Corps prior to arrival in Florida on Friday evening.”

Previous administrations have allowed brief news media coverage at either the beginning or the end of presidential golf games. Obama’s policy generally is no coverage at all, but exceptions were made for separate outings he had in 2011 with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and former President Bill Clinton.

Golf Channel said Rosaforte is a member of the Floridian who sent his tweets from the clubhouse. Rosaforte did not have access to the course or to Obama, the network said.

Obama is in Florida while his wife and daughters are on an annual ski vacation out West. He was due to arrive back in Washington on Monday night.

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Mickelson Shoots 60 At Phoenix Open

ascrouch — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:37:45 +0000

Phil Mickelson reacts after missing his birdie putt on the ninth hole that would have given him a round of 59 during the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 31, 2013 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

SCOTTSDALE (AP) — Phil Mickelson thought his 25-footer for a 59 was going in. So did caddie Jim Mackay, playing partners Jason Dufner and Rickie Fowler, and the fans packed around the ninth green at TPC Scottsdale.

Lefty even pointed his putter at the cup and started walking toward the hole, ready to celebrate golf’s magic number. Then, right at the end, the ball caught the right edge of the cup, curled 180 degrees to the other side of the hole and stayed out. A fraction of inch turned cheers to gasps Thursday in the first round of the Phoenix Open.

“Six feet to go, it was in the center,” Mickelson said. “Three feet to go, it was in the center. A foot to go, it was in the center, and even as it’s approaching the hole, I couldn’t envision which side of the hole it could possibly miss on, and it ended up somehow just dying off at the end, catching the lip.”

Mackay fell to his knees and stayed there several seconds.

“He could not have hit a better putt,” Mackay said.

Dufner and Fowler also watched in disbelief when the putt lipped out.

“Unlucky,” Dufner said. “He was walking it in.”

“I thought it was in,” Fowler said. “I was pulling for him.”

Mickelson settled for an 11-under 60 at TPC Scottsdale, matching the tournament record he already shared with Grant Waite and Mark Calcavecchia.

“Well, 60 is awesome,” Mickelson said. “Last time I shot 60 here in ’05, I birdied like the last three or four holes just to do that, and I was ecstatic, and I’m ecstatic to shoot 60. But there’s a big difference between 60 and 59. Not that big between 60 and 61, there really isn’t. But there’s a big barrier, a Berlin Wall barrier, between 59 and 60.

“I shot it in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. I shot 58 in a practice round. But to do it in a tournament would have been historic for me, something I’d always remember, and I’ll always remember that putt on the last hole probably, too.”

Finishing his round on the front nine, the 42-year-old former Arizona State star birdied the par-3 seventh to reach 11 under.

“Probably the best shot of the day because it’s a tucked little pin over that bunker and I hit a 6-iron to 4 or 5 feet,” Mickelson said. “It was really a good shot from 196 yards.”

He parred the par-4 eighth, leaving an 18-footer a rotation short.

“That putt is so fast down to that right pin because it’s going toward the valley, it’s downhill and down grain,” Mickelson said. “I thought, ‘I can’t leave it short.’ So, I just got it right on line and it was tracking and it pulled up short.”

On the par-4 ninth, he split the fairway with a 325-yard drive and hit a gap wedge left of the pin, with the ball spinning to an immediate stop.

“Hit two great drives on eight and nine and ended up with a pitching wedge and a gap wedge and didn’t hit the best shots, but gave myself great putts at it,” Mickelson said.

He was thinking about breaking 60 after making the turn in 7-under 29, a mark that tied the tournament record for the back nine.

“(When) I birdied three and four, ‘Done deal. I’m going to get this done,’” Mickelson said. “Very disappointed that I wasn’t able to birdie the last couple. … I just knew I could do it, and darn it, it just lipped out.”

Mackay didn’t say a word about a 59, treating Mickelson like a pitcher pursuing a no-hitter.

“I’m handing him the putter and just totally getting away from him,” Mackay said.

Five players have shot 59 in official PGA Tour events. Al Geiberger did it in the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck in the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational, David Duval in the 1999 Bob Hope Invitational, Paul Goydos in the 2010 John Deere Classic and Stuart Appleby in the 2010 Greenbrier Classic. Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa had the lowest round on a major tour, shooting a 12-under 58 to win the 2010 Crowns on the Japan Tour.

Bo Van Pelt had a 59 in the pro-am Wednesday at TPC Scottsdale, a round that Mickelson watched closely from the group behind.

“He hit a shot on 17, he was 9 under at the time, and he hit a drive that hit the pin and ended up a foot,” Mickelson said. “It should have gone in. And I kind of got into him, I said, ‘Look, I don’t care when it is, get a 3, make a 3 on the last hole because you don’t get a chance to shoot 59.’ Here I am the next day making a 4.”

In perfect conditions on the course softened by weekend rain, Mickelson birdied the first four holes, then parred No. 14 and missed a 5-foot birdie try on the par-5 15th.

“That was the one putt that I hit poorly,” Mickelson said. “I limped it up to the hole. You can’t putt like that. You’ve got to putt aggressively. It almost spurred me on to putt a little more aggressive.”

He rebounded on the par-3 16th, making an 18-footer with a big right-to-left break to roars from the large crowd on the stadium hole.

“I just got it dialed in with the right speed,” Mickelson said.

He birdied the next three holes and the par-5 third and par-3 fourth, showing his prowess off the tee with the new Callaway driver he got Tuesday.

“This driver spins so low that I can have more loft on the club, making it easier to hit,” Mickelson said. “It really could be a revolutionary club for me.”

Seeking his third victory in the event, Mickelson had a four-stroke lead over Ryan Palmer, Brandt Snedeker, Padraig Harrington, Ted Potter Jr. and Jeff Maggert when play was suspended because of darkness. Thirty-three players were unable to finish the round that started an hour late because of frost.

Mickelson struggled in his first two events of the season — tying for 37th at La Quinta and 51st at Torrey Pines — and caused a sensation by talking about tax increases.

“It was a matter of time before he started getting something going,” Mackay said.

DIVOTS: Mickelson birdied all four par-3 holes, giving him four 2s in a round for the first time in his career. … Mickelson and Zach Johnson are the only PGA Tour players to shoot 60 more than once. Johnson did it in the 2007 Tour Championship and 2009 Texas Open. … Vijay Singh withdrew before the round, a day after saying he used deer-antler spray. The 49-year-old Fijian, facing possible sanctions from the tour, cited a back injury. … Fowler, Dufner and Van Pelt shot 68.

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Vijay Singh Withdraws From Phoenix Open

jeffburkett — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:48:47 +0000

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AP) - Vijay Singh withdrew from the Phoenix Open on Thursday, a day after saying he used deer-antler spray and was “absolutely shocked” that it may contain a banned substance.

Singh cited a back injury in pulling out before the first round.

The 49-year-old Fijian first revealed he used the spray in an interview with Sports Illustrated. The magazine said Singh paid one of the owners of Sports With Alternatives To Steroids $9,000 last November for the spray, hologram chips and other products.

The magazine also reported Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis sought help from SWATS in his recovery from a torn right triceps. The company says its deer-antler substance contains a banned performance-enhancer connected to human growth hormone.

Singh said in a statement Wednesday that while he used deer-antler spray he was not aware he may have been violating the PGA Tour’s anti-doping policy.

“In fact, when I first received the product, I reviewed the list of ingredients and did not see any prohibited substances,” he said. “I am absolutely shocked that deer-antler spray may contain a banned substance and am angry that I have put myself in this position. I have been in contact with the PGA Tour and am cooperating fully with their review of this matter. I will not be commenting further at this time.”

PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said the tour is “looking into the matter.”

Singh won the last of his 34 PGA Tour titles in 2008. The three-time major champion also has 22 international victories. Early in his career, he was suspended from the Asian Tour for two years for altering his scorecard during a tournament in Indonesia.

Doug Barron is the only player to be suspended under the tour’s anti-doping policy, missing part of 2009 and most of 2010. The one-year suspension was lifted in September 2010, and Barron was granted a therapeutic use exemption for low testosterone.

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Michael Phelps Signs Golf Deal With Ping

jeffburkett — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:00:30 +0000

PHOENIX (AP) – Michael Phelps is getting serious about his golf game.

The winner of a record 18 gold medals in Olympic swimming, Phelps signed on with Ping to provide his clubs starting with an appearance Wednesday in the Phoenix Open pro-am.

Phelps got a tour of Ping’s Arizona facilities, where he was fitted for a set of clubs that accommodate his 6-foot-4 height, long arms and large hands. He’s already noticed a big improvement in the flight of his ball.

“It’s pretty wild,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s crazy to think this sport is so technical. A lot of sports are very technical, but one of the (Ping) guys said there’s 50-something different shafts they can put on the clubs. I’m used to having a pair of goggles, a small, medium or large swim cap, and a jammer to put on, and that’s it.”

Ping added a few special touches to Phelps’ clubs, including accents in both gold and red, white and blue.

“We’ve custom-built his clubs to ensure he has every chance to improve, and we believe he’ll dedicate himself to golf with the same intensity he gave to swimming,” said John A. Solheim, the company’s chairman and CEO. “His global presence as a golfer will bring Ping tremendous exposure and just as importantly, shed additional light on the game in general.”

Phelps played with Masters champion Bubba Watson in the pro-am.

“You can see he’s an athlete and he’s competitive, so he could be good if he practiced and put some time into it,” Watson said. “Any athlete of that level has a chance to be good at another sport.”

Phelps has been working with renowned coach Hank Haney for an eight-episode series on the Golf Channel that begins Feb. 25. While the swimmer-turned-golfer is not sure how far his new sport can take him, he’s sure enjoying the ride so far.

“You can’t put limits on anything,” Phelps said. “There’s so much I could do. Maybe I can get good enough where I can make the Olympics in golf.”

The sport is joining the Olympic program at the 2016 Rio Games.

“Hey, you never know,” Phelps said, chuckling. “Being a golfer at the Olympics would be kind of fun.”

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Woods Wins At Torrey Pines For 8th Time

jeffburkett — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:31:02 +0000

Tiger Woods waves his cap as he walks to the 18th green during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course on January 28, 2013 in La Jolla, California. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Not even a sloppy finish could keep Tiger Woods from another win at Torrey Pines.

Woods led by as many as eight shots on the back nine Monday until a painfully slow finish led to some indifferent shots in the final hour of the Farmers Insurance Open.

No matter.

Woods closed with an even-par 72 for a four-shot victory. He won the tournament for the seventh time, and picked up his record eighth win as a pro at Torrey Pines, which includes the 2008 U.S. Open.

Woods had a six-shot lead with 11 holes to play when he returned Monday to complete the fog-delayed tournament and no one got close.

It was the 75th career win for Woods on the PGA Tour, seven behind the record held by Sam Snead.

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Tiger Headed Toward Another Win At Torrey Pines

ascrouch — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:05:13 +0000

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Pacific air was so cold at the end of a 10-hour day at Torrey Pines that Tiger Woods thrust both hands in the front pockets of his rain pants as he walked off the course at the Farmers Insurance Open.

It was a fitting image. Woods made a marathon day look like he was out for a stroll.

Staked to a two-shot lead going into the third round of this fog-delayed tournament, Woods drove the ball where he was aiming and was hardly ever out of position. Even with a bogey on the final hole — the easiest on the back nine — Woods still had a 3-under 69 and expanded his lead by two shots.

In the seven holes he played in the fourth round later Sunday afternoon, Woods hit the ball all over the course and still made three birdies to add two more strokes to his lead.

Thanks to the fog that wiped out an entire day of golf on Saturday, the Farmers Insurance Open didn’t stand a chance of finishing on Sunday.

Woods just made it look like it was over.

He had a six-shot lead with 11 holes to play going into the conclusion of the final round on Monday. The two guys chasing him were Brandt Snedeker, the defending champion, and Nick Watney, who won at Torrey Pines in 2008. Neither was waving a white flag. Both understood how much the odds were stacked against them.

“I’ve got a guy at the top of the leaderboard that doesn’t like giving up leads,” Snedeker said. “So I have to go catch him.”

“All we can do tomorrow is go out and try to make him think about it a little bit and see what happens,” Watney said.

And then there was Erik Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient who had a birdie-eagle finish in the third round that put him in third place through 54 holes, still five shots behind Woods. Someone asked Compton about trying to chase Woods. He laughed.

“I’m trying to chase myself,” he said.

Woods was at 17-under par for the tournament, and more than just a six-shot lead was in his corner.

He finished the third round at 14-under 202, making it the 16th time on the PGA Tour that he had at least a four-shot lead going into the final round. His record on the PGA Tour with the outright lead after 54 holes is 38-2, the exceptions being Ed Fiori in 1996 when Woods was a 20-year-old rookie and Y.E. Yang in the 2009 PGA Championship.

Woods attributed his big lead to the “whole package.”

“I’ve driven the ball well, I’ve hit my irons well, and I’ve chipped and putted well,” he said. “Well, I’ve hit good putts. They all haven’t gone in.”

Woods has a good history of Monday finishes, starting with Torrey Pines. It was on this course along the coast north of La Jolla that Woods won a 19-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate to capture the 2008 U.S. Open for his 14th major.

He also won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on a Monday in 2000 when he rallied from seven shots behind with seven holes to play. He won his lone title in The Players Championship on a Monday, along with a five-shot win in the Memorial in 2000, and a scheduled Monday finish in the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston.

Woods even gets to sleep in.

A Monday finish because of weather typically resumes in the morning so players can get to the next tournament. CBS Sports, however, decided it wanted to televise the conclusion, and so play won’t begin until 2 p.m. EST. That decision might have been based on Woods being headed toward victory — just a hunch.

Woods already has won seven times at Torrey Pines, including the U.S. Open. That matches his PGA Tour record at Bay Hill and Firestone (Sam Snead won the Greensboro Open eight times, four each on a different course).

The tournament isn’t over, and Woods doesn’t see it that way.

“I’ve got to continue with executing my game plan. That’s the idea,” he said. “I’ve got 11 holes to play, and I’ve got to play them well.”

He seized control with his 69 in the third round that gave him a four-shot lead, and he might have put this away in the two hours he played before darkness stopped play.

He badly missed the first fairway to the left, but had a gap through the Torrey pines to the green and had a two-putt par. He missed his next shot so far to the left that the ball wound up in the first cut of the adjacent sixth fairway. He still managed a simple up-and-down for par.

After a 10-foot birdie on the par-3 third, Woods couldn’t afford to go left off the tee again because of the PGA Tour’s largest water hazard — the Pacific Ocean. So he went miles right, beyond a cart path, a tree blocking his way to the green. He hit a cut shot that came up safely short of the green, and then chipped in from 40 feet for birdie.

“I was able to play those holes in 2-under par,” Woods said. “And then I hit three great drives right in a row.”

One of them wasn’t that great — it was in the right rough, the ball so buried that from 214 yards that Woods hit a 5-wood. It scooted down the fairway and onto the green, setting up a two-putt birdie the stretched his lead to six shots. And after another good drive, the horn sounded to stop play. Because it was due to weather, Woods was able to finish the hole, and he two-putted for par.

Eleven holes on Monday were all that were keeping him from his 75th career win on the PGA Tour, and delivering a message to the rest of golf that there could be more of this to follow no matter what the golf course.

Woods Atop Leaderboard At Torrey Pines

jeffburkett — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:22:46 +0000

Tiger Woods hits a tee shot on the 15th hole during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines North Golf Course on January 25, 2013 in La Jolla, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Tiger Woods made it look easy in the rain Friday on the North Course at Torrey Pines and finished his day atop the leaderboard in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Woods put himself into great position going into the weekend with a 7-under 65. He finished his second round with the lead, though several players were still on the soggy courses. One of them was Ross Fisher of England, who was two shots out of the lead with five holes remaining on the South Course.

For the second straight day, Woods played a five-hole stretch in 5-under par. This time, he finished strongly. After his lone bogey on the par-4 eighth hole, he hit 5-wood onto the ninth green for a two-putt birdie to reach 11-under 133.

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Wood Shoots 64, Leads At Qatar Masters

jeffburkett — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:20:01 +0000

Chris Wood of England plays his third shot on the 18th hole during the third round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters held at Doha Golf Club on January 25, 2013 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

DOHA, QATAR (AP) - Chris Wood shot an 8-under 64 Friday for a three-stroke lead on Michael Campbell and two others after the third round of the Qatar Masters.

Wood started the day two shots behind Ryder Cup stars Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer but moved up the leaderboard with five birdies on the front nine en route to a 15-under 201.

He had an eagle at the 10th when his second shot landed within 10 feet of the pin. He missed a short putt on the 12th for bogey but had birdies on the 14th and 16th to match fellow Englishman Simon Khan for the low round of the tournament.

“I played pretty nicely. I wouldn’t say it’s one of my best,” Wood said. “I played similar to the way I played on Wednesday, the first round. Shot 67, could have been a few better.”

Khan made a move on Friday, joining Campbell (68) and Alexander Noren (66) in second. The 486th-ranked Khan had six birdies on his first seven holes and finished with eight during his bogey-free round. He just missed a ninth birdie when his putt on the 18th came up short.

Garcia (70) fell into a tie for fifth with Brandon Grace (67) of South Africa, four shots behind. The Spaniard was in the hunt early on thanks to several long birdie putts, but bogeyed the 15th and picked up a second bogey on 18 when his approach shot went into the water just left of the green.

“I can be a little bit disappointed with the score, but not with the way I played,” Garcia said. “Even the last shot, I thought I hit a nice shot, tried to draw it a little bit with a 9 iron and the wind just didn’t hold it at all and unfortunately it went in the water. But, you know, we managed to make a good up and down for bogey. Hopefully, the putts that didn’t want to go in today will go in tomorrow.”

Kaymer struggled to remain in touch with the leaders. The former No. 1 shot a 72 and was six behind. Kaymer had a birdie on the 2nd but poor putting led to bogeys on the 4th and 6th holes.

“Very disappointing,” Kaymer said. “I thought I hit more good golf shots today, but putting was very tough. I missed I think a putt from a foot today, and one from two feet, and it’s just difficult to stay positive on the golf course.”

The 142nd-ranked Wood is looking for his first European Tour win in his 115th event.

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All Eyes Are On Rory McIlroy

jeffburkett — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:13:31 +0000

HONOLULU (AP) – This much could always be said about Tiger Woods. The richest man in golf played like he didn’t have two nickels to rub together.

Rory McIlroy appears to be cut from the same cloth.

Even a cloth that now has a swoosh.

McIlroy’s big year got under way Monday in Abu Dhabi with the kind of glitzy production that would make even Ryder Cup organizers envious, with music blaring and lasers lighting up the room. There were video messages from Phil Knight, Wayne Rooney and Woods, for so long the most prominent face of Nike Golf.

Adding to the buildup was a commercial that debuts Wednesday and shows McIlroy and Woods trying to one-up each other on the range with shots that find the “cup” in faraway places. It’s reminiscent of that McDonald’s commercial from a generation ago, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird matching shots (nothing but net) that go through windows and bounce off scoreboards.

There was a time when Woods never shared the stage with any Nike athlete in a commercial.

What must follow now for McIlroy is the most important part of any marketing campaign – performance.

Nike endorsement contracts are among the best-guarded secrets in golf. Two industry leaders independently estimated the value at $20 million a year, including one who was aware of a bidding war for McIlroy that didn’t last very long.

At some point, this becomes like Monopoly money, anyway.

Will it change McIlroy? Don’t bet on it.

“I don’t play golf for the money. I’m well past that,” McIlroy said. “I’m a major champion, which I’ve always dreamed of being. I’m world No. 1, which I’ve always dreamed of being. I think this is a company that can help me sustain that and win ever more majors.”

McIlroy’s talent is such that he probably could win with anything, much like Woods and Phil Mickelson winning majors with two brands of clubs, and Ernie Els winning majors under three equipment contracts.

From Nike’s standpoint, the upside might not be easy to measure.

McIlroy already has shown to be less predictable than Woods. Even during such a remarkable season when he won five times, a major and money titles on both sides of the Atlantic, the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland missed five cuts. It took Woods 13 years before he missed his fifth cut.

If the kid goes through another bad patch this year, the cynics will be quick to blame the equipment. If he wins early and often, and maybe even slips on a green jacket the second weekend in April, then all credit to the immense talent that is Rory McIlroy.

Nike is all about the athlete, however, and it has Nos. 1 and 2 in the world at the moment, the two biggest names in golf regardless of their ranking.

Predictions are a dangerous business in any sport, particularly when the cup — on the golf course, not the new Nike commercial – is only 4 1/4 inches around, the game is played outdoors and the talent pool is getting so deep that it looks like it’s about to drop off a shelf in the ocean.

For years, the standard was Woods, and that hasn’t changed.

McIlroy, however, might have a tough time living up to his own standard. More than just five wins around the world was the quality of competition McIlroy beat last year — a major, two FedEx Cup playoff events, Europe’s version of the Tour Championship. The weakest field McIlroy beat all year was the Honda Classic, where the top five included Woods, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Charl Schwartzel.

“I want to win golf tournaments. I made that clear from the get go,” McIlroy said. “I am very focused on trying to win as many majors as I can.

Obviously, winning two majors the last two seasons, I want to try and keep that going and play them well again this year.

“I guess if I go this year and I don’t, then it will be a bad year,” he added. “If I’m sitting end of 2013 and haven’t won a major, I would be disappointed.”

Not since Woods won the last three majors and 10 times around the world in 2000 has there been so much curiosity about an encore. Just as intriguing is how his relationship with Woods will unfold. McIlroy was taught by his father, Gerry, at an early age that it costs nothing to be nice to people. His Ulster roots keep from getting too full of himself. He is hard not to like. Woods rarely spoke about McIlroy last year without mentioning at some point that “he’s a great kid.”

A dozen years ago, Woods became friends with another player that Nike eventually signed — David Duval, who in 2001 became the first major champion with the swoosh stamped on his golf clubs at the British Open. They flew home together from St. Andrews, the claret jug in Woods’ possession. They were partners in two World Cups. They flew to Maui together on Woods’ jet for the season opener.

About a year later, they no longer were that close. Duval is a more complicated personality than McIlroy, and it was about that time when Duval went into a deep slump through a combination of injuries, confidence and life changes.

Woods moved on to levels not seen in his generation. The longer he was around, the more approachable he was to the other players. And while he has had his share of rivals over the years, McIlroy is the first real threat from the next generation. He is the first player that makes you wonder if Woods getting back to No. 1 depends solely on him.

Are they rivals?

McIlroy doesn’t think so because they haven’t gone head-to-head in the final hour of a major, or any tournament for that matter.

“Hopefully, at some point, that can happen this year and it would be great to be part of that,” McIlroy said.

What makes them rivals, however the term is defined, is that they’re the two players everyone talks about. They have the same expectations. They wear the same logo. And now they’re in the same commercial.

Still to be determined this year is who plays the supporting role.

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Nike Announces Sponsorship Deal With McIlroy

ascrouch — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:56:22 +0000

ABU DHABI (AP) – Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are on the same team now _ at least when it comes to sponsorship.

McIlroy officially made the switch to the swoosh on Monday as Nike confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in golf, announcing it had signed a multi-year deal with the top-ranked Northern Irishman.

The deal means Nike now has golf’s two biggest names representing its brand, as Woods has been with the sportswear company since turning pro in 1996. Nike did not disclose any financial details of the deal, but industry observers have estimated that McIlroy will be paid up to $20 million a year to use the company’s equipment and apparel.

The partnership with McIlroy was announced in a lavish ceremony in the United Arab Emirates ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, where he will use the company’s equipment for the first time. The event opened with a hologram of McIlroy swinging a club and included a video showing Woods, Roger Federer and Wayne Rooney welcoming him to Nike.

“Rory is an extraordinary athlete who creates enormous excitement with his on-course performance while, at the same time connecting with fans everywhere,” said Cindy Davis, president of Nike Golf. “He is the epitome of a Nike Athlete, and he is joining our team during the most exciting time in Nike Golf’s history. We are looking forward to partnering with him to take his remarkable career to the next level.”

McIlroy said he was “really excited” to start the season and insisted he has made a “seamless” adjustment to his new equipment, especially his driver.

“As soon as I hit it, I knew it was going in the bag straight away,” McIlroy said. “It blew me away. My ball speed was up. My numbers were good. I’m hitting it further. I thought I hit it far before but this is taking to new level. That’s great.”

McIlroy’s switch to Nike had been widely expected. In October, McIlroy cut ties with Acushnet Co., which had supplied him with Titleist and FootJoy gear since he turned pro five years ago. And this month, Jumeirah Group announced it was not renewing its five-year sponsorship deal with the Northern Irishman.

McIlroy insisted he’s not making the switch because of the money.

“I don’t play golf for the money, I am well past that,” McIlroy said. “I’m a major champion and world No. 1, which I have always dreamed of being, and feel this is a company that can help me sustain that and win even more major titles. At the end of 2013, if I have not won another major I will be disappointed.”

The deal comes in the wake of a career year for McIlroy, in which he became No. 1 and won his second major. He insisted in an interview with The Associated Press that all the attention hasn’t rattled him and that he has struck the “right balance,” although he acknowledged it took some time getting used to the top ranking.

“I guess when I first got to No. 1 after Honda, I might have struggled with it for a few weeks,” said McIlroy, who temporarily relinquished the title to Luke Donald before finishing the year at the top.

“It was a big goal of mine going into last year trying to get that. I probably achieved it a bit faster than I thought I would,” he said. “(Then) I sort of didn’t have a goal. I was like, `what’s next?’ I had to reassess. It was a good lesson for me. Now that I’ve got back to No. 1, I felt I handled it a lot better.”

McIlroy and Woods have already developed a friendly rivalry lately, and they will likely be seen together even more often from now on.

Nike already unveiled a new commercial entitled “No Cup is Safe” that begins running Wednesday featuring McIlroy and Woods on the driving range _ with each trying to outdo the other. The players first take turn aiming at the driving range hole and then start hitting more spectacular targets, with balls going into wine glasses at a wedding and a soup bowl in a restaurant. It ends with McIlroy picking up his water glass to find Woods’ golf ball.

“How did you do that?” McIlroy asks. Woods retorts: “You’ll learn.”

McIlroy said the two have a mutual respect for each other, but that it’s too soon to say they have a real rivalry on the course.

“I don’t know if you can call it a rivalry yet because we haven’t battled each other down the stretch of a major,” McIlroy told the AP. “It’s not like we have been playing in the final group of a tournament and we are battling each other. Hopefully at some point that can happen this year and it would be great to be part of that.”

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Ryo Ishikawa Gets Another Masters Invitation

jeffburkett — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 20:40:18 +0000

AUGUSTA, GA (AP) – Ryo Ishikawa of Japan is headed back to the Masters with another special invitation.

Augusta National says Ishikawa and Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand have accepted invitations, which are reserved for international players. It will be the fifth straight year for Ishikawa playing the Masters.

Wiratchant won the Asian Tour money title last year and holds the Asian Tour record for most career victories. He won the Hero India Open last year for his 15th title.

Ishikawa has dropped out of the top 50 in the world. Masters chairman Billy Payne says Ishikawa finished strong last year, including his 10th career win on the Japan Golf Tour late in the year.

These special invitations typically go to players who are not PGA Tour members, and it might be the last one for Ishikawa. He joined the PGA Tour this year for the first time.

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Duval Willing To Go Back To Minors

jeffburkett — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:09:38 +0000

KAPALUA, HI (AP) – David Duval spent his first full season of professional golf in the minor leagues, finishing No. 8 on what was then the Nike Tour money list to earn his PGA Tour card. Nearly 20 years later, after a career in which he has won a major, a PGA Tour money title and was No. 1 in the world, Duval is willing to go back.

Duval still doesn’t know where he will start his 2013 season, but he figures it will be a year like no other. Duval’s only status is as a past champion. His only mission is to start his season next year in Hawaii, whether that’s the Tournament of Champions or the Sony Open with full status.

“My wife is excited, I’m excited,” Duval said over the weekend. “It’s going to be a different year with me the way things have changed for exemptions. I’ve made it clear that this year is about getting healthy and getting status.”

Duval has endured a number of injuries, the latest a broken toe that kept him out of the Father-Son Challenge last month.

Most tournaments have had their unrestricted sponsor exemptions cut in half to two because the tour is trying to create space for players in a short season.

Duval was disappointed to learn Monday he had been turned down for an exemption to the Humana Challenge, where he delivered one of the most famous moments in tournament history when he shot 59 on the final day to win what was then the Bob Hope Classic. He remains hopeful to get an exemption for Torrey Pines, though he is not standing on the street corner holding out his hat.

His plan is to play – anywhere.

“If I have to go play somewhere, I’ll go to the Web.com Tour, too,” Duval said. “I’d like to get in that four-week series at the end of the year.”

There are two ways to get into the “Finals” to earn back his card — finish from No. 126 to No. 200 in the FedEx Cup points, or be in the top 75 on the Web.com Tour money list. Then, it’s a money list built on four $1 million purses with 25 cards available.

“You don’t want to count on charity from other people to play,” Duval said, referring to PGA Tour exemptions. “You have to a little, but I’m going to play where I need to play to be in Hawaii next year.”

Meanwhile, Duval is returning to Nike, but he left vague specifics of any deal. He was the first player to win a major using Nike Golf clubs in 2001 at the British Open. “I will be playing all Nike this year. New covert driver, ball, wedges, etc.” he said on Twitter.

“I’m going to be with them again,” Duval said when asked about a deal. “I haven’t signed anything. We’ve agreed to move forward, is the best way to put it.”

Duval then headed out to practice at home in Denver. He said he has been working all winter, even if that means hitting balls in his garage when it’s cold. He even jokingly inquired about the three-sided trailer Steve Stricker uses in Wisconsin.

“It’s up to me to be ready to play,” he said.

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Henry Honors Victims Of Conn. School Shooting

jeffburkett — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:25:35 +0000

KAPALUA, HI (AP) – J.J. Henry slipped on a white golf cap that prompted questions because of the four letters stretched across the front. That was the whole idea.

S.H.E.S.

Perhaps it was only fitting that Henry wore the cap during the pro-am round Thursday at the Tournament of Champions, for it was the same day some 400 students who survived the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School returned to classes at a different school building in a neighboring Connecticut town.

“A couple people have asked what the letters stand for, and a few others have figured it out,” Henry said after stepping out of the rain at Kapalua. “It’s a way to help remember and think about the families.”

And what better PGA Tour winner to wear the cap than Henry.

He grew up in Fairfield, Conn., about 20 miles south of Newtown. His aunt lived for years around the corner from Sandy Hook Elementary. Henry remembers when his middle school basketball team played games at Chalk Hill, where the Sandy Hook students now go to school.

Henry doesn’t know any of the families in Newtown, but he considers them neighbors. He carries the Connecticut flag on the PGA Tour, and the connection is strong.

“This is just a way to honor those families. And growing up there … to have something happen like it did, you’re almost at a loss for words,” said Henry, a three-time Connecticut State Amateur champion. “Being the first tournament of the year, in a beautiful place like Hawaii, a lot of those people are cooped up in their houses in freezing cold or snow. If they happen to be a golf fan and see it, maybe that could say that all PGA Tour players are thinking about them.”

It’s a small gesture that Henry hopes can grow into something much bigger.

Henry is wearing “S.H.E.S” in bold, black letters across the front of his cap only for the PGA Tour season-opener, which began Friday and will be broadcast on Golf Channel. On Sunday, there’s a three-hour broadcast window on NBC Sports.

He’d planning another recognition and remembrance, which he expects it will involve more people. Already this week, he received an email from Nathan Grube, the tournament director of the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Conn., about what they can do.

The PGA Tour also is waiting for plans to unfold, with Travelers taking the lead as the tour’s only stop in Connecticut. Henry, who went to school at TCU and lives in Fort Worth, Texas, already has the “Henry House Foundation” that targets children, and he has a special skybox at the Colonial. He is thinking about another skybox specifically for the families of Sandy Hook this summer at the Travelers Championship.

Perhaps they can raise enough money to one day rebuilt Sandy Hook.

“It’s a small state, but they love their golf,” Henry said.

Henry’s first PGA Tour win was in Hartford in 2006, and he qualified for the Tournament of Champions by winning the Reno-Tahoe Open last year. He is starting his 13th year on the PGA Tour, a career that includes one Ryder Cup appearance in 2006.

“People know who I am in Connecticut,” Henry said. “If I happen to get on TV and hit some good shots, and if Golf Channel talks about it … it’s not about me,” he said. “I just wanted to do something as someone who grew up there and went to those schools. If Golf Channel can talk about the whole PGA Tour family, we all feel the same way. I think that’s what we’re all after.”

Henry did not want the week to go by without raising awareness that 20 first-grade students, along with six educators, were slain Dec. 14 by a gunman on a day that shook the country.

Henry was home in Texas when he heard the news. The shootings happened so close to where he grew up and where his parents still live, it reached a point where he had a hard time turning on the news.

“It’s almost hard to talk about,” he said.

Henry has an endorsement deal with TaylorMade, though that doesn’t include the front of his hat, one of the most visible billboards among golfers. He is completing a corporate deal for that space, but in the meantime, he thought it would be appropriate to do something — anything — so that Sandy Hook would not be forgotten.

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McIlroy Says He May Skip 2016 Rio Olympics

ascrouch — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:21:57 +0000

LONDON (AP) – Rory McIlroy says he may skip the 2016 Olympics because of the dilemma over which country to represent.

The No. 1-ranked player from Northern Ireland is eligible to compete for either Britain or Ireland when golf returns to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

McIlroy says in a BBC documentary that missing the Olympics is “definitely an option” because “I don’t want to upset too many people.”

McIlroy stirred controversy last year when he said in a British newspaper interview that he felt “more British than Irish.” He then posted a letter on Twitter saying he grew up “a proud product of Irish golf” and had not made a decision on the Olympics.

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Steve Stricker Headed For Semi-Retirement

jeffburkett — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:12:22 +0000

Steve Stricker walks down the the second hole fairway in the rain during the Pro-Am round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course on January 3, 2013 in Kapalua, Hawaii. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

KAPALUA, HI (AP) – At the end of another long year, and only a month away from the start of another season, Steve Stricker quietly posed a question that sounded out of place for a guy with more than $25 million in PGA Tour earnings over the last six years.

“What if I went to Kapalua to defend and didn’t play again the rest of the year?”

When he arrived on the shores of Maui for the season-opening Tournament of Champions, he had reached a compromise. Stricker, who turns 46 next month, is going into semi-retirement. When he leaves Kapalua, he won’t return again until the Match Play Championship at the end of February.

He’ll play the majors and World Golf Championships that are held in America, maybe a few other tournaments to get ready for the majors, and the John Deere Classic, which has become his hometown event ever since the Greater Milwaukee Open went away.

“I’ve proved to myself I could come back,” said Stricker, once mired in a slump so severe he was voted PGA Tour comeback player — two years in a row. “I had a great run the last six years. I think it’s just the travel, the time away. When I get home, I’m not there. I’m focused on where I go next. When I do something, I’m in it. I’ve had enough of being totally focused on golf and my life. And I wanted to not have it be about me anymore.”

Stricker is wired differently from most. He gets as much pleasure taking his kids to school in Wisconsin as winning golf tournaments. He would rather spend his fall in a deer stand with a bow than on the practice green with his putter.

He has been thinking about cutting back for the last few years, only the decision was never easy. Not when he was as high as No. 2 in the world, a regular on U.S. teams in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup.

Even with some winter stubble after nine holes of practice on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, he looked fresh and ready to go.

“I’m excited about the year because I finally made this decision to scale back,” he said. “You know me. I’ve been this way since Day One. I’ve never played a lot. I enjoy my time at home, and I’ve tossed around this idea with my family the last couple of years. Finally making a decision to scale back has lifted a little bit of a burden from me. I’m just as excited to play this week as I’ve ever been.”

Stricker won the Tournament of Champions a year ago for his 12th career win, although that turned out to be the highlight of his year. In one of the more peculiar trends, he became the third straight player to win the PGA Tour’s opener and not win again the rest of the year.

He faces a 30-man field of PGA Tour winners that is missing some of the top stars, no longer unusual in this global landscape of golf with Europeans competing deep into November and some international players, such as Ernie Els, starting next week in South Africa. Among those absent from Kapalua are Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Justin Rose, the top four players in the world ranking.

Stricker won’t see many of them until he gets to Arizona for the Match Play Championship.

At least he’s not walking away entirely. Over the last few weeks, he looked at the schedule and didn’t feel he could miss the big events, particularly the majors. He hasn’t set a number of events he wants to play, but it will be somewhere around 10.

What to do with all that free time? It won’t be limited to a car pool or a deer stand. Stricker is forming a foundation with a new sponsor, American Family Insurance, with the goal of helping adolescents. The seed money comes from the charity donation he received for winning the Payne Stewart Award and playing on the Ryder Cup team.

His other sponsors — Titleist, Avis and the New York Stock Exchange — are behind his decision to cut back. Stricker has restructured his endorsement deals because he is playing less, and he plans to do more personal days with clients.

“I was prepared to lose all that, I really was,” Stricker said. “For the most part, they’re happy for me.”

He still hasn’t talked to PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. Stricker is one of the most popular figures on tour because of the way he treats people. For now, this semi-retirement does not include The Players Championship or even the FedEx Cup playoffs, even if he has a reasonable shot at the $10 million bonus.

He would play the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup if he qualifies. With his limited schedule, he would be playing some good golf.

And yes, he’ll still practice. His 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Maria, is a natural athlete who is getting into golf. There were a few times last year she wanted to go to the golf course with his dad, but Stricker feared he wouldn’t get any work done on his game.

“Now I can put in some time with her,” Stricker said. “She’s talked about hitting more balls in the winter. I can spend more time with her doing that, and playing with her in the summer if she wants to.”

The strongest part of her game? Stricker smiled.

“She putts good,” he said.

Part of Stricker wishes he had done this sooner, but the time didn’t seem right. He would emerge from his fall break to play in the World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods, and then Greg Norman’s Shootout in Florida, and he found himself not wanting to leave.

“The coolest part is I’m playing as good as I ever have,” Stricker said. “I’ve accomplished a lot of things. I proved to myself I can come back from where I was and I played great for an extended period of time. The major thing is missing, but that’s not hugely important to me. I don’t have to win a major. Obviously, I’d love to. But it’s not going to define who I am. It’s all good. I feel like I’m doing this for the right reason.

“I felt like it would be a bold move a couple of years ago, and I think it’s a bold move now,” he said. “Some people might think it’s not a good idea. But I think it is for me.”

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Pettersson: Golf On ‘Witch Hunt’ Of Long Putters

jeffburkett — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:30:50 +0000

Carl Pettersson of Sweden (Photo credit DON EMMERT/AFP/GettyImages)

KAPALUA, HI (AP) – Carl Pettersson isn’t about to ditch his long putter anytime soon.

In his first comments since golf’s governing bodies announced a plan to ban putters that are anchored to the body, Pettersson says the decision feels like a “witch hunt.” He says it wouldn’t have been an issue if not for three of the last five majors being won by players using a belly putter.

The ban, once approved, would not go into effect for another three years. Pettersson has been using a broom-handle putter for 16 years, and he says he will continue to use it this season.

He says he will see how the issue unfolds before deciding whether to challenge the proposed rule.

Pettersson qualified for the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua by winning Hilton Head.

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9 Questions For Golf’s 2013 Season

jeffburkett — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:42:58 +0000

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Even without the top four players in the world around to kick off the season, every new year in golf is shrouded in mystery like clouds over Molokai across the channel from Kapalua.

Among the most pressing question: What will Bubba Watson serve for dinner at the Masters?

“When you show up for dinner on Tuesday night, that’s when you’ll find out,” Watson said.

One problem. The press isn’t invited.

“That’s what I mean,” Watson said.

With a wink and a smile, he walked over to the first tee and smashed the first of what figures to be several 400-yard tee shots. There were 67 tee shots that went at least 400 yards last year on the PGA Tour, and 41 of them were on the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

There are more serious issues going into 2013. What follows is the front nine of what to look for in the new season.

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1. EUROPEAN CAPTAIN: The biggest news in Abu Dhabi later this month won’t necessarily be the first showdown between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. This is where the European Tour traditionally selects its Ryder Cup captain, and the choice became a little more complicated when the Americans went back in time by picking Tom Watson.

Watson is beloved in Scotland, site of the 2014 matches. Does that mean Europe needs to answer with a larger-than-life figure for its captain? That has led to suggestions Colin Montgomerie would return as captain, though Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley were said to be next in line. Clarke would seem a better fit when the matches return to America at Hazeltine in 2016, though McGinley might be dwarfed by Watson’s presence.

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2. RORY AND THE SWOOSH: Players changing equipment companies is nothing new. It’s different when that player is No. 1 in the world. Nike is not likely to announce its deal with McIlroy until he starts his season in Abu Dhabi, and that’s when the scrutiny begins.

McIlroy gives Nike another world-class athlete in its stable. But whatever recognition his clubs receive might be akin to an offensive lineman who gets his name called only when there’s a penalty. Remember, McIlroy is known to have a bad patch of two. Even last year, when he won five times and swept all the major awards, he missed four cuts in five starts in the summer. When he plays poorly, critics will blame the equipment. And when he plays great, well, he’s Rory McIlroy.

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3. SHORT SEASON: The PGA Tour season might feel more like a sprint than a marathon this year. The season, in effect, ends with the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 18, the cutoff for qualifying for the FedEx Cup playoffs. And once the playoffs end at the Tour Championship, the 2013-14 season starts in October.

That might mean more players competing more often, which could put the squeeze on Q-school and Web.com Tour graduates by limiting the number of tournaments they can play to try to qualify for the playoffs. The motto always has been, “Play better.” A tweak might be in order this year. “Play better, now.”

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4. ANCHORS AWAY: The R&A and USGA announced late last year that anchored strokes used for the belly putter and long putter will be banned starting in 2016. The question is whether the PGA Tour, which has the right to set its own rules, will enact the new rule much sooner.

There already is evidence of a stigma attached to those who anchor their putters — Keegan Bradley said a fan called him a cheater at the World Challenge last month — and it might be in the best interest of the tour to make the change quickly. But when? At the end of the FedEx Cup, meaning a player can use a belly putter in September but not October? At the start of 2013, meaning the rule would change in the middle of a season?

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5. MASTERS INVITATIONS: For the last six years, the Masters has been awarding invitations to winners of PGA Tour events that offer full FedEx Cup points. The Fall Series didn’t count, nor did the events opposite a major or World Golf Championship.

One problem. Starting later this year, there is no Fall Series. When the tour goes to the wraparound season, there will be an additional six tournaments that under the previous policy would award the winner a spot in the Masters.

The concern for Augusta National is keeping a small field — it has not had more than 100 players since 1966. The question is whether the tour’s change will mean an end to tournament winners driving down Magnolia Lane.

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6. ALL-MALE CLUBS: Just because Augusta National now has two women in green jackets doesn’t mean the debate over all-male clubs is going away. If anything, it might be more intense than ever when the British Open returns to Muirfield. There are no female members in the “Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers,” nor are there any female members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.

That received cursory criticism over the years, though most of the scrutiny was on the Masters. Now that the British Open is the only major played in which the host club has no women on their membership rolls, R&A chief Peter Dawson might have some explaining to do. If he’s not too busy talking about changes to the Old Course.

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7. DISTANCE DEBATE: Those concerned that distance is ruining the game and making golf courses obsolete might appreciate a prediction in Golf Illustrated magazine that if the “carrying power of golf balls is to be still further increased all our golf courses will be irretrievably ruined as a test of the game.”

That was in 1910, and the game has been evolving since.

The R&A and USGA have leaned on their “Joint Statement of Principles” in 2002 when it comes to distance. Even so, Dawson sounded an ominous tone while announcing the ban on anchored strokes.

“We haven’t shelved distance. It’s very much on the radar,” R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said. “Anchored strokes are separate. Just because we’re doing one doesn’t mean we have taken our eye off the other.”

Stay tuned.

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8. MINORS VS. MAJORS: With the PGA Tour starting a new season in October, the only way to earn a card will be through a series of four tournaments called “The Finals” that will include the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour and the next 75 players from the PGA Tour who fail to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Privately, the brass at PGA Tour headquarters is curious to see how the Web.com Tour players will fare against the second-tier PGA Tour players who faced stiffer competition and tougher golf courses all year.

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9. TIGER: Woods and Jack Nicklaus were talking about rivalries a decade ago when Nicklaus told him it was important to always be part of the conversation. That’s never been a problem for Woods. Even with McIlroy assuming the role of golf’s No. 1 player, Woods is part of every conversation in golf.

The only difference is the context.

Can he end a four-year drought in the majors? Can he get back to No. 1? Will he ever dominate as he once did?

The new season should provide some answers.

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Watson Returns As Ryder Cup Captain

jeffburkett — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:48:35 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) - The Americans are bringing back Tom Watson as their Ryder Cup captain with hopes of ending two decades of losing in Europe.

The PGA of America announced Watson’s selection Thursday morning on the “Today.” Watson, an eight-time major champion and one of the most respected figures in golf, will be 65 when the 2014 Ryder Cup is played at Gleneagles in Scotland. That will make him the oldest captain in Ryder Cup history.

He also is the first repeat captain for the U.S. team since Jack Nicklaus in 1987. Watson also was captain in 1993 at The Belfry, the last time the Americans won the Ryder Cup away from home.

Watson is beloved in Scotland, where he won four of his five British Open titles, the most of any American.

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US To Announce Next Ryder Cup Captain

jeffburkett — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:27:06 +0000

DALLAS (AP) - The PGA of America is introducing its next Ryder Cup captain during a segment of the “Today” show on Thursday.

Adding to the intrigue of the announcement is whether the PGA of America will stick to its prototype of a former major champion who still plays on the PGA Tour, or whether it will look farther into its past to find its latest captain.

David Toms fits the former category, while there has been strong sentiment for either Tom Watson or Larry Nelson.

Nelson is a three-time major champion with a sterling Ryder Cup record. Watson was captain when the Americans last won in Europe in 1993 at The Belfry. The 2014 Ryder Cup will be played at Gleneagles in Scotland, where Watson won four of his British Open titles.

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Bradley, Steele Return To Shootout

jeffburkett — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:44:57 +0000

NAPLES, FL (AP) - Keegan Bradley and Brendan Steele are defending their title in the Franklin Templeton Shootout, and Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter also are back for the first time since winning the team event.

Last year, Bradley and Steele became the first PGA Tour rookies to win the Greg Norman-run tournament, shooting a 13-under 59 in the final-round scramble for a three-stroke victory. Bradley is coming off a second-place finish Sunday in Tiger Woods’ World Challenge in California.

Johnson and Poulter won in 2010, then skipped the event last year because of scheduling conflicts.

The 12-team tournament begins Friday at Tiburon, “shark” in Spanish, with a modified alternate-shot round. The team will play better ball Saturday, and finish with a scramble Sunday.

Norman is teaming with Fredrik Jacobson, and the field also features the teams of Davis Love III-Brandt Snedeker, Bud Cauley-Rickie Fowler, Justin Leonard-Scott Verplank, Jerry Kelly-Steve Stricker, Charles Howell III-Rory Sabbatini, Jason Dufner-Vijay Singh, Mark Calcavecchia-Mike Weir, Stewart Cink-Carl Pettersson and Sean O’Hair-Kenny Perry.

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Caddies Fight At Australian Open Practice

jeffburkett — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:04:12 +0000

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (AP) - Golf officials are investigating a fight between two caddies near the practice chipping area at The Lakes before the first round of the Australian Open.

PGA Tour of Australasia officials said Friday that Grant Buchanan and Matt Kelly had to be separated after coming to blows as their players prepared for the opening round. Buchanan is James Nitties’ caddie, and Kelly works for Marc Leishman.

The caddies were interviewed by tour officials and could face disciplinary action.

Tournament director Andrew Langford-Jones said “we’ve spoken to those involved and we still need to speak to a few more people.”

Leishman had a 2-under 70 on Thursday, leaving him four strokes behind leader John Senden. Nitties shot 77.

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Haas & Langer Defend Long Putter Use

ascrouch — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:22:21 +0000

Bernhard Langer of Germany lines up a putt on the first green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Desert Mountain Club (Cochise) on November 4, 2012 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

SUN CITY (AP) - Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer says the debate over putting with long clubs is far from over.

Langer has been using a long putter he anchors to his chest for 15 years, and the German remains one of the best on the 50-and-older Champions Tour, winning the money list for the fourth time this year. He was perplexed when the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club announced a new rule that would ban players from anchoring the club to the body.

“It has been out for that long,” Langer said Thursday at the Nedbank Challenge. “If there is anything illegal about it, why did they not stop it right away? If it is that easy with a long putter, a belly putter, why aren’t 90 percent of the pros and 100 percent of the amateurs using it?”

Langer suggested there might be a challenge to the rule proposal.

“I do not think it is the end of it,” he said. “There are pros that are on tour that grew up with that putter. They have invested 15-20 years in practicing, maybe 30 years practicing with a long putter or belly putter, and now they have to switch and they make a living doing that.”

Carl Pettersson and Tim Clark, who use long putters, have hinted at fighting any ban on the anchored stroke. They have used long putters as long as they have been on the PGA Tour. Clark is on holiday in South African and could not be reached for comment, while Pettersson declined interviews Thursday, not wanting to talk about the rule.

The governing bodies will take comment on the proposed rule for three months before approving it. The rule would not take effect until 2016.

Bill Haas used the belly putter in 2011 when he won the Tour Championship can captured the $10 million bonus in the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour. He switched back to a conventional putter this year and won at Riviera. Haas, who has used both putters recently, doesn’t think the rule needs to be changed.

“I thought I putted worse with it (the belly putter) for a while,” the American said. “I think it’s just a way to putt. I’ve heard Webb Simpson talk about it and he says stats show the best putters aren’t belly putters users.”

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McIlroy, Donald Share Lead At 11 Under In Dubai

jeffburkett — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:59:03 +0000

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his shot during the second round of the DP World Tour Championship in the Gulf emirate of Dubai on November 23, 2012. The European Tour’s finest have converged on the Greg Norman-designed Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai this week aiming to prevent a McIlroy sweep at the season-ending eight million dollar (6.2 million euros) championship. (Photo credit KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images)

DUBAI, UAE (AP) – Top-ranked Rory McIlroy and No. 2 Luke Donald share the lead with Marc Warren after the second round of the Dubai World Championship.

Donald joined McIlroy and Warren at 11-under 133 after his approach shot came within a foot of the hole on the 18th and he made the birdie putt for a 4-under 68. Warren (67), a 189th-ranked golfer who hasn’t had a win since 2007, had a chance take the outright lead. But his 12-foot putt on the 18th came up short.

McIlroy (67) looks to win the season-ending tournament after wrapping up the European and PGA tour money titles. McIlroy was a shot behind Donald after the first round but had six birdies with a lone bogey to move atop the leaderboard.

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Woods Says Getting Back To No. 1 Will Take Time

jeffburkett — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:09:59 +0000

SINGAPORE (AP) – On the two-year anniversary of losing his No. 1 ranking, Tiger Woods said Thursday that winning was the best way for him to get back to the top.

And that could take some time.

Four players have been No. 1 over the last two years. The current top ranking belongs to Rory McIlroy.

Woods won three times this year on the U.S. tour, though it took time for his trademark consistency to develop. He did not have back-to-back finishes in the top 10 until the British Open (tie for third) and the Bridgestone Invitational (tie for eighth).

He hasn’t finished out of the top 10 since The Barclays in August, a streak of four tournaments. Woods ends his 2012 season at his World Challenge in California in the last week of November.

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