Archive for April, 2009
April 27, 2009
Mexican star Lorena Ochoa shot a 5-under 68 on Sunday to hold off Norways Suzann Pettersen by a stroke in a dramatic final round and win the Corona Championship for the second straight year.
Ochoa, who also won the tournament in 2006, had back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to break a tie with Pettersen and finish at 25-under 267.
The charismatic star played without regular caddy Dave Booker, who got hurt playing a soccer match on Saturday and was unable to help the 27-year-old Ochoa around Tres Marias Residential Country Club. She ended up calling on childhood coach Rafael Alarcon to caddy for her.
South Koreas Na Yeon Choi finished third at 18 under, Wendy Ward was another shot back and Christie Kerr and Yani Tseng tied for fifth at 16-under par.
Zurich Classic
AVONDALE, La. - Jerry Kelly rallied with a pair of birdies on the back nine Sunday, showing steady nerves to win the Zurich Classic for his first PGA Tour title since 2002.
Kelly birdied the fifth before bogeys on No. 8 and No. 10 brought him back to the pack. He then birdied the 11th and 14th to shoot 71 and finish 14 under for the tournament, one shot clear of Charles Howell, Rory Sabbatini and Charlie Wi.
Howell took advantage of Kellys mid-round stumble with one of his six birdies at 11 that gave him a two stroke lead. But bogeys at the 15th and 17th left him with a 68 on the day.
Steve Marino, playing with Kelly, stayed within one shot of the lead until the 18th, when he went into a bunker and ended up with a bogey for a round of 70. He finished tied for fifth.
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Tom Lehman made a par putt on the second playoff hole to become the 13th player to win his Champions Tour debut, teaming with Bernhard Langer to fend off Craig Stadler and Jeff Sluman in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf.
Each team finished at 27-under 189 in the better-ball event.
Stadler bogeyed the second playoff hole and Langers approach landed in a greenside bunker, where he blasted out to 5 feet but missed his putt. After Sluman missed his par putt from 4 feet, Lehman rolled in his from about the same distance for the win.
Defending champions Tom Watson and Andy North (65) never mounted a serious charge, finishing at 21 under. Since teaming up in 2005, theyre a combined 102-under par in this tournament.
Ballantines Championship
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea - Thailands Thongchai Jaidee closed with a 2-under 70, then beat Kang Wook-soon and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in a three-way playoff to win the $2.9 million Ballantines Championship at the Pinx Golf Club course.
All three players finished at 4 under for the tournament, and Thongchai won the playoff with a birdie at the first extra hole, the par-4 18th. The tournament, jointly sanction by the Asian and European Tours, was his second win in two months.
April 27, 2009
Jerry Kelly took the umbrella from the parade marshal, donned his tasseled sash and danced his way off the 18th as the brass band played an exuberant Dixieland tune.
After enduring a seven-year winless streak, a determined charge by half-dozen young golfers, and a pair of bogeys that dropped him out of the lead, Kellys 1-stroke victory in the Zurich Classic on Sunday was plenty of reason to celebrate.
Its been a long time, said Kelly, who was showered with Mardi Gras beads by fans and presented with a large tray of char-broiled oysters by his favorite New Orleans restaurant. I sometimes doubted if it was ever going to happen again.
Kelly rallied with two birdies on the back nine to claim the $1.1 million payday on Sunday.
Kelly offset bogeys on No. 8 and No. 10 with birdies on Nos. 5, 11 and 14 for a 1-under 71 in the final round. He finished with a 274, one stroke ahead of three players.
It was the 42-year-old Wisconsin players first PGA Tour title since he won two in 2002 - exactly 200 starts ago.
Charles Howell took advantage of Kellys mid-round stumble with one of his six birdies on 11, which gave him a two-stroke lead. But bogeys at 15 and 17 left him with a 68 on the day, and he tied for second with Rory Sabbatini (67) and Charlie Wi (68).
Its frustrating, said Howell. I got up to 15, and had every chance to do it. I just couldnt finish it off.
Kelly, an admitted leaderboard watcher, said seeing Howell take a two stroke lead on No. 11 did not cause him to doubt himself.
I knew what the back side had been doing to everybody all week, Kelly said. And I had actually been playing the back side better,
Steve Marino, playing with Kelly, stayed within one shot until the 18th. Instead of getting the victory or forcing a playoff, he hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker and then needed two putts. He put up his third bogey and finished at 70, tied for fifth at 276.
I thought I hit a great third shot in there, and it just came off like half a club short in that bunker, Marino said. And that was it.
Kelly, meanwhile, calmly rolled his final putt about 2 1/2 feet for his 13th par on the day and the championship. Despite the seven-year title drought, Kelly said he really didnt have trouble with his nerves until his final putt on 18. He said practicing deep-breathing techniques settled him down.
His first title since claiming the Sony Open and Advil Western Open in 2002 provided Kelly with his biggest payday ever. The winning purse moved Kelly from No. 97 to No. 14 on the money list with $1.4 million. It also earns him full exempt status through 2011.
And it netted him 500 FedExCup points, moving him to 17th in the standings.
David Toms, who won this tournament in 2001, had five birdies for a 68 on the day after a bogey on the first hole. His 276 not only tied him with Marino, it boosted him in the FedExCup standings and into the Players Championship.
April 23, 2009
Even after a few decades as a pro, Fred Couples still looks forward to new experiences.
Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, will add another venue to his long list of destinations when he tees off at the $2.9 million Ballantines Championship at Jeju Island.
Hell be among the leading contenders when the tournament - jointly sanctioned by the European, Asian and Korean Tours - starts Thursday at the Pinx Golf Club on this southern resort island.
Ive been traveling since probably the British Open in 1983, and the most fun is playing in front of people that you dont usually play in front of, Couples said.
That helps raise the stakes for the higher profile players in the field, the 49-year-old Couples said.
You come to Korea, you want to play well. Theres probably more pressure, and thats a good thing, because if you play at home in the United States, they see you all the time, he said. So one of the best parts is coming and playing in a different place. Its a learning experience and a lot of fun.
Three-time major winner Ernie Els of South Africa, No. 9-ranked Henrik Stenson, European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and Englands Lee Westwood, an 18-time winner on the European Tour, are also in the field.
Northern Irelands Graeme McDowell, who won here last year with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff with Indias Jeev Milkha Singh, has returned to defend his title.
Noh Seung-yul, the 17-year-old South Korean, is among a contingent of Asian Tour contenders that also includes Chinas Liang Wenchong, the Asian No. 1 in 2007, American Anthony Kang, the current Order of Merit leader, Thailands Prayad Marksaeng and Taiwans Lin Wen-tang.
Couples has finished tied for third in PGA Tour events at Houston and Los Angeles this season and has 15 career titles on the tour.
Ive played maybe eight tournaments and missed a few cuts, but the times Ive played, I played pretty well.
Hes hoping his experience will help him master the breezy local conditions.
Ive been playing in windy weather every week, so this could be a normal fit for me. I hope to have that to fall back to, he said. I think the tougher the conditions may help me a little bit, where the scoring isnt crazy and guys are shooting 67s and 68s every round.
Westwood hasnt won a title since September 2007 and is desperate to turn that around. It took him 31 hours to reach Jeju after a couple of aborted landings and redirected flights due to high winds.
I havent won for over a year now, so I would like to get back to winning, Westwood said. I was close last year and lost a couple of playoffs. I finished close in the World Golf Championships event at Akron and close at the US Open, where I was third.
My game has been good, but Ive just not been finishing the weeks off. It will be good to get some form together this week and try and win.
April 23, 2009
Jerry Kelly hit the 10th hole at the TPC Louisiana hungry for much more than a win. Just over halfway through Wednesdays pro-am at the Zurich Classic, Kelly knew what he needed before finishing the back nine: Three dozen char-grilled oysters.
Some of the other tournaments serve pretty good food, Kelly said, but nothing like this. This is gastronomic heaven.
The tournament has taken on some of the attributes - good food and get-down music - that have made the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival beginning on Friday a fan favorite.
Cuisine, everything from alligator on a stick to beignets, has become a big part of the tournaments advertising package. The food is available to fans around the course and, for a $175 tab, at the Champions Club, where a dozen top restaurants dish up specialties.
Still, its not all food and fun: Beginning on Thursday, its down to business for players wanting a piece of the $6.3 million purse. The winner will leave with $1.1 million.
This is only the fourth time the Zurich Classic has been played at the TPC Louisiana. The course opened in 2005, only to be flooded in Hurricane Katrina. The classic returned in 2007 and has had a first-time U.S. PGA Tour winner every time, including Andres Romero last year.
I didnt find any difference, the Argentine said of the course on Wednesday. The only difference is my game. Im not with the confidence that I was last year when I played here.
Romeros victory came in just his 12th U.S. PGA start. He made the cut in all four majors and finished tied for eighth at the Masters and seventh at the U.S. PGA Championship and was voted the tour rookie of the year.
The tournament will feature 10 of the top 20 money leaders, 10 of the top 20 year-to-date FedExCup leaders, and 30 players who have won tournaments in the past two years.
The Zurich hasnt attracted many big names since Katrina, though it has generated loyalty among many - Steve Elkington, Scott Verplank and K.J. Choi among them - who compete regularly in New Orleans.
Food is a big part of the local culture. And its a big part of the Zurich Classic.
If oysters dont fill the stomach, players could have crawfish etoufee from Galatoires Restaurant on the fourth hole. Barbecue shrimp and grits from Pascals Manale Restaurant on the sixth. Crab and crawfish cake with a jalapeno cheese biscuit from the Pelican Club on the seventh.
I went to Dragos Monday night, NOLA last night, said Kelly, who was playing in his 10th tournament in New Orleans. And my good friend Branford Marsalis is taking me somewhere special tonight.
Kelly said his personal best for grilled oysters was 58, which he couldnt match on Wednesday. But three dozen was enough to make the back nine pass in a haze.
I knew what would happen, but I couldnt stop myself, Kelly said. The food here is unbelievable.
April 23, 2009
The cheers came from every corner of Augusta National, the kind of mayhem that had been missing at the Masters.
The last one was for Angel Cabrera, a most unlikely champion.
He heard the roars for Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, a supercharged duel that was pure theater. Cabrera never lost hope when a roar rattled the pines after Kenny Perry got within inches of an ace on the 16th hole to build a two-shot lead with two holes to play.
This is how its supposed to be on Sunday at Augusta National.
And it was.
Its a course that you can do a lot of birdies, a lot of bogeys, Cabrera said through an interpreter. A lot of magical things happen. Its simply the Masters.
And the most magical thing of all happened just as the sun began to set.
Perry, a 48-year-old on the verge of becoming golfs oldest champion, had gone 22 consecutive holes without a bogey until he dropped shots on each of the last two holes for a 71 to force a three-man playoff that included Chad Campbell.
Cabrera, who also shot 71, looked like the odd man out when his tee shot on the first playoff hole landed behind a Georgia pine, and his 4-iron struck another one. But he managed to scratch out a par with a sand wedge to 8 feet and a pressure-packed putt.
When luck turned against Perry on the second extra hole - a splotch of mud on his ball in the fairway that led to a bogey - Cabrera made a routine par to become the first Argentine in a green jacket.
At No. 69 in the world, he became the lowest-ranked player to win the Masters since the world ranking began in 1986.
This is a great moment, the dream of any golfer to win the Masters, Cabrera said during the green jacket ceremony. Im so emotional I can barely talk.
Ditto for the 30,000 fans who witnessed this stunning show.
I think I lost my hearing on a few holes, they were screaming so loud, Perry said.
He also lost the tournament.
Perry bladed a chip across the 17th green for one bogey, then hit into a bunker on the 18th hole and narrowly missed a 15-foot par putt that would have brought him the major championship he covets.
But he was gracious as ever, clapping for Cabrera when he holed an 8-foot putt for his unlikely par to stay in the playoff. And even in defeat, it was hard not to appreciate the give-and-take nature that was restored at the Masters.
I may never get this opportunity ever again, but I had a lot of fun being in there, Perry said. I had the tournament to win. I lost the tournament. But Angel hung in there. I was proud of him.
Two years after winning the U.S. Open at Oakmont, Cabrera became the sixth player this decade to win multiple majors.
And he finally gave Argentines some happy memories of the Masters.
It was 41 years ago when Roberto de Vicenzo made one of golfs most famous gaffes, signing for the wrong score that denied him a spot in a Masters playoff.
When Cabrera returned home as the U.S. Open champion two years ago, de Vicenzo gave him a special gift.
He gave me a frame where he has in his hand a green jacket, and he says, I hope this gives you luck, so someday you can bring back a green jacket for yourself, Cabrera said.
Campbell finished with a 69 to join the playoff at 12-under 276, but he was eliminated on the first extra hole when he found a bunker from the middle of the 18th fairway, then watched his 6-foot par putt lip out of the hole.
It was his second close call in a major. Six years ago at the PGA Championship, Campbell was one shot behind on the 18th hole at Oak Hill when Shaun Micheel hit a 7-iron to 2 inches.
I just got beat by a better shot, Campbell said. And today, I kind of blew it myself. I hit bad shots.
The final hour was almost enough to make a dizzy gallery forget about the Woods-Mickelson fireworks hours earlier.
For those who feared Augusta National had become too tough, too dull and far too quiet, the roars returned in a big way. Mickelson and Woods played together in a final round of a major for the first time in eight years, and they proved to be the best undercard in golf.
Mickelson tied a Masters record with a 30 on the front nine to get into contention. Woods chased him around Amen Corner, then caught him with three birdies in a four-hole stretch that captured the imagination of thousands of fans who stood a dozen deep in spots for a view.
But it ended with a thud.
Mickelson lost his momentum with a 9-iron into Raes Creek on the par-3 12th, and when he missed a 4-foot eagle putt and a 5-foot birdie putt down the stretch. He had to settle for a 67 that left him three shots behind.
Woods bogeyed the last two holes for a 68 to finish another shot back.
Then came the Main Event.
Perry did not make a birdie until his 20-foot putt on the 12th curled into the side of the cup. Campbell, playing in the group ahead, narrowly missed two eagle putts on the back nine to forge a brief share of the lead.
It looked like Perry had the green jacket buttoned up when he hit his tee shot to within a foot of the cup on the par-3 16th hole for a two-shot lead over Campbell and Cabrera, who made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th just to stay in the game.
Then came his stunning collapse, the second time he has lost a major in a playoff. The other time was 13 years ago at Valhalla, which has haunted Perry the rest of his career.
Im not going to feel sorry, Perry said. If this is the worst thing that happens to me, I can live with it. I really can. Great players get it done, and Angel got it done. This is his second major he won. Ive blown two. But thats the only two Ive had chances of winning.
Despite all the cheers and excitement that returned to the Masters, no one really lit up the back nine the way Jack Nicklaus did when he won in 1986, or Mickelson and Ernie Els did in 2004.
But the possibility was there, and thats all that mattered. All afternoon, there was endless chatter about who would make the big charge on the back nine.
Mickelson didnt bother waiting that long.
His charge came on the front nine, a record-tying 30 as he raced up the leaderboard and delighted a massive gallery with four consecutive birdies. The most significant came at No. 7, when he powered a shot around the trees to inside a foot.
Fans who stood a dozen-deep behind the green were jumping and waving their arms, a scene that looked more like a Duke-North Carolina basketball game than staid, proper Augusta National.
It was perfect timing - and perfect location.
About 40 yards down the hill, Cabrera played his pitch to the par-5 second just as the loudest cheer of early afternoon shook the pines.
For the final pairing at the Masters, Cabrera and Perry didnt get much attention. Their gallery was thin, about one-fifth the size of the mass following Woods and Mickelson. There was no energy. No birdies, either.
I felt that when Tiger and Phil were making birdies and were making a move, I had to make a move myself in order to be the winner, Cabrera said.
Padraig Harrington, whose bid for a third straight major officially ended with a 73 to finish even par for the week, looked over to see Perry and Cabrera make the turn.
Theres hardly anybody watching the leaders, he said.
But they got plenty of attention later, after the Woods-Mickelson circus left town.
Its sure nice to hear the roars coming back out here, Larry Mize said. Thats what you love about this place.
April 22, 2009
Arnold Palmer can appreciate a good rivalry, even if hes not part of it.
Palmer, whose duels with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were memorable, shared some thoughts on this months Masters on Tuesday. Angel Cabrera won the tournament, but not before Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson thrilled the crowd by playing their way back into contention while paired together in the final round at Augusta National.
It wasnt planned. It happened. I think the fact that they were playing in Augusta and doing the things that they were doing … I think thats what Augustas all about, Palmer said of the Woods-Mickelson show. I thought it was perfect. If you had set it up, you couldnt have set it up any better.
Palmer and Mickelson were both on hand at The Alotian Club outside Little Rock, appearing in conjunction with the Jackson T. Stephens Charitable Golf Tournament. Palmer spoke in the morning, and Mickelson put on a brief clinic in the afternoon for some youngsters.
The charity tournament was named after Jack Stephens, the late billionaire, philanthropist and former chief executive officer of Stephens Inc. He also was at one point the chairman of Augusta National.
Mickelson tied a Masters record with a 30 on the front nine of the final round, but he lost his momentum on the back nine and finished three shots behind. Woods was another shot back.
Cabrera ended up winning in a playoff over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell.
It was a fun day. I enjoyed the front nine a lot. The back nine I wish I had played better, Mickelson said. I thought it was an amazing finish.
Before this years Masters, there were concerns that Augusta National had become too tough. That wasnt an issue this year. Campbell set a Masters record by opening the tournament with five straight birdies, and the crowd was roaring throughout the final round.
On Tuesday, Mickelson was asked to re-enact his approach on the seventh hole, when he powered a shot around trees to about a foot from the hole to set up a birdie. He hit a high hook for the Alotian audience.
This year, Augusta played easier than its ever played, Mickelson said. The greens were soft. I havent seen that, ever. That shot that I hit on seven that stopped by the hole - that ball normally wouldnt stop.
Hours earlier, Palmer had expressed a similar sentiment.
It isnt as much fun when theyre not making birdies and eagles at Augusta, Palmer said.
Palmer and Mickelson each took plenty of questions, including at least one that brought back some bad memories for Mickelson. He was asked by a youngster why he didnt use a driver at the start of last years U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. He fell behind before bringing the driver back for the third round.
Sometimes Im an idiot, Mickelson joked.
April 22, 2009
The history of golf and future of the game will collide again at Merion Golf Club.
The venerable East Course that tested Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus will challenge the modern golfer when it hosts the Walker Cup Match in September, a sort of dress rehearsal for hosting the 2013 U.S. Open.
Merion showed its mettle only a few years ago. Its narrow fairways, deep rough and sculpted greens held up against some of the countrys top nonprofessionals during the 2005 U.S. Amateur. Not long after, the United States Golf Association awarded Merion its fifth Open, but its first since 1981, igniting a debate as to whether the Hugh Wilson design on Philadelphias Main Line is a worthy test for todays long hitters.
U.S. Walker Cup captain and Merion member Buddy Marucci is convinced changes to the course, including adding about 300 yards, makes the storied layout a legitimate test for all golfers, including the best amateur players from the United States battling those from Great Britain and Ireland.
Part of the genius of what has been done here is that the difficult holes were made more difficult, and the easier, shorter holes pretty much stayed the same, Marucci said at a Walker Cup press event on Tuesday. I think what has happened is the architecture that was there for 100 years just popped out even more, and the challenges are back to where they were.
At some places, 300 and some yards might not be significant, but it has made a tremendous difference here, just by allowing that architecture to come back out.
Marucci captained the U.S. team to a dramatic 12 1/2-11 1/2 victory over GBI in 2007 in Ireland. That victory extended the Americans record in the biennial competition to 33-7-1, though the teams have split the past 10 competitions. Scotlands Colin Dalgleish will captain the GBI squad.
A two-time Walker Cup player with a 3-0 mark in alternate shot matches and a 1-1-1 singles record, Marucci is eager for some of the worlds finest amateurs to take on Merion, the site of 16 USGA championships or international team events which will play to 6,846 yards and a par 70.
The Walker Cups fourball and singles matches might not compare to the stroke play of the pros. But the players plan of attack in two days of morning fourball matches and afternoon singles on Sept. 11-12 should shed light on how the course will be attacked four years down the road.
Marucci is convinced Merion wont be muscled.
From a power standpoint, there will be some perspective given, said Marucci, who was runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 1995 U.S. Amateur.
Marucci has spent nearly his entire life at Merion, growing up near the course and ultimately becoming one if its high-profile members. He knows what it takes to tame the layout and will share his knowledge with the U.S. team he puts together through the summer.
The one thing that I know … you cant play Merion from the rough, he said. I wont be preaching a great deal to them, but will certainly educate them to the fact that, and they will learn pretty quickly, you cant be competitive from the rough at Merion.
Merion has a reputation of being a golf treasure.
Its where Jones played his first Amateur as a 14-year-old and returned 10 years later to claim his first U.S. Amateur title. He completed the Grand Slam by winning the 1930 Amateur to go along with the U.S. Open, British Open and British Amateur.
Theres a plaque commemorating Jones final hole in a competitive event on Merions 11th tee. It was on that hole he closed out Eugene Homans 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final.
Hogan left his mark, too.
Just over a year after surviving a horrible car crash, Hogan was on the 72nd hole of the 1950 U.S. Open in need of a par to force a playoff. In one of golfs most enduring photos, Hogan is pictured, from behind, hitting a 1-iron from the 18th fairway to a green circled by spectators. He went on to two-putt for par and won a three-way playoff the next day.
Before the start of a playoff for the 1971 Open, Lee Trevino pulled a prank on Nicklaus, tossing a rubber snake at his feet while on the first tee. Trevino went on to win.
Marucci is ready for more memories to be made at Merion.
To me, what makes it special is when you walk out onto the first tee, every shot requires thought and is challenging, Marucci said. The minute you step onto the first tee, you have to think about where youre going. And that doesnt necessarily mean you have to hit it far.
You have to hit a certain kind of shot, and if you dont hit that kind of shot, youre going to be penalized and if you do hit that shot, youre going to be rewarded.
April 22, 2009
The US PGA Tour picked up another key sponsor extension when Zurich Financial said on Tuesday it would continue its title sponsorship of the New Orleans tournament through 2014.
That gives the tour seven title sponsors who have contracts through 2014. Zurich, which took over as the sponsor in New Orleans in 2005, becomes the third company this year to extend its deal that long. The others were Accenture (Match Play Championship) and Travelers (Connecticut).
The tour has lost title sponsors in Milwaukee after this year and Phoenix after next year.
Zurich remains committed to the children in the area who benefit through our partnership with the PGA Tour and the Fore!Kids Foundation and to the city and the people of New Orleans, CEO James J. Schiro said.
The announcement came at an economic forum, during which officials said the tournament has pumped $30 million into New Orleans each year. The Zurich Classic has raised more than $6 million for charities serving 200,000 children in southeastern Louisiana since the Swiss-based company became title sponsor in 2005.
The Fore!Kids Foundation is the not-for-profit group that runs the tournament.
April 21, 2009
Officials say the LPGA Corning Classic will end after this years tournament in May.
The 31-year-old event is the longest running tournament on the LPGA Tour with the same sponsor at the same venue.
Corning Inc. executive vice president Kirk Gregg made the announcement Monday afternoon at the Corning Country Club. He says the tournament has lost $500,000 in sponsorships and has not been able to replace the lost revenue.
Corning has been restructuring recently and laid off 3,500 people from its global work force. Gregg says financing the tournament is no longer a viable expense.
Tournament president Jack Benjamin also says attendance is down in recent years, and fewer volunteers are coming out to help.
April 21, 2009
Tiger Woods knee is fine. The familys fine. The preparations for his tournament are fine and this time he is actually set to play.
With no drama about him for a change, it was a good day for Woods to pop off some one-liners on a rainy Monday at Congressional Country Club while doing his promotional bit as host of the ATT National.
So, what about Charles Barkleys swing?
Charles swing, it certainly is interesting. Its like a speech impediment, said Woods, whose coach, Hank Haney, has been working with Barkley on Haneys Golf Channel show. It cant get any worse. It can only get better.
Another probing question: Does Woods speak Swedish around the house? (Its the native tongue of his wife, Elin.)
I speak a little. Its not very good, Woods said. Im better at reading than I am anything else. Or Take out the trash or Clean the house, Wash dishes, I understand those.
And what about Michael Jordans game?
Better than Charles, Woods said with a laugh. When I first played MJ at Chicago, his first round wasnt very good. Shot 88. His next round, 73. So obviously I got suckered in. Learned my lesson. It all depends where I put the wager on the number, what hes going to shoot.
Woods was soaking in the sights and sounds at Congressional as he promoted the third edition of his tournament that will take place July 2-5. Woods will be back in the field after staying home last year while recuperating from knee surgery.
I was on the couch. I was watching it, blowing up everyones phone, Woods said. I wanted to find out everything that was going on, I missed it so much.
The tournaments two previous champions, K.J. Choi (2007) and Anthony Kim (2008) have also committed to play this year, along with Ernie Els, who won the U.S. Open at Congressional in 1997.
The legendary Blue Course will host the Open again in 2011 and will need at least a year of preparation, so Woods tournament will take a hiatus from the Washington area for the next two years. It will be played at Aronimink Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia in 2010 and 2011.
Still, Woods hope is that Congressional eventually becomes the permanent home of his tournament.
We want to come back and play here as long as Congressional wants us, he said.
Sitting next to Woods at a packed, camera-filled news conference can be a daunting experience. Congressional president Tim Sullivan totally lost his train of thought during his introductory remarks, called the experience nerve-racking and tried to recover by saying, Just like missing a putt, Tiger.
Done a lot of that lately, Woods said with another laugh.
Later, Woods elaborated on the state of his game. His nine-month layoff had a greater effect on his ability to practice the long game, but everything was just a little off during the first three rounds of the Masters earlier this month. Woods final-round comeback wasnt enough and he finished in a tie for sixth.
I was just a fraction off, Wood said. I didnt putt well until Sunday. Being a fraction off, I do mean a fraction. How many times did I hit a shot that was one yard off? And one yard is 30, 40 feet at Augusta, it just takes the wrong side of the slope. It just seemed to be happening all week. … Hopefully the next tournament I play Ill be a little sharper.
