Archive for May, 2009
May 20, 2009
So much about Shane Lowrys victory in the Irish Open was surprising.
The burly, 22-year-old Irishman was only the 16th-ranked amateur in the world, hopeful of making the Walker Cup team, when he teed it up for the first time on the European Tour. His 62 in the third round matched the lowest score ever by an amateur on the tour. His playoff victory moved him up to No. 168 in the world, 14 spots better than Colin Montgomerie.
That Lowry won a European Tour event as an amateur?
Not so surprising.
As much as his victory in the wind and rain on the links of County Louth was cause for celebration, it raised questions about the strength and depth of fields on the European Tour.
Lowry became the third amateur in the last two years to win on the European Tour. He joins Spains Pablo Martin, who won the Portugal Open in 2007 a week before the Masters; and 18-year-old New Zealander Danny Lee, who captured the Johnnie Walker Classic in Australia three months ago to become Europes youngest champion in history.
That raises questions when compared with the U.S. PGA Tour, which is going on its 19th consecutive year since its last amateur winner, Phil Mickelson in 1991.
On this tour, a lot of it has to do with the depth of the fields, said Scott Verplank, who preceded Mickelson when he won the 1985 Western Amateur as a university student. Not to take a sideswipe at the European Tour, but I think theres something to that.
Mickelson was also at university when he won the Northern Telecom Open in Arizona by one stroke over Tom Purtzer and Bob Tway.
Since then, no amateur has even come close.
A year after Mickelsons feat, David Duval was a 20-year-old amateur when he had a two-shot lead over Tom Kite going into the final round of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta. He closed with a 79.
I was naive and young and didnt know what it was entirely about, Duval recalled on Tuesday. I just knew I was playing well. I remember that I got asked if I thought I could beat Tom Kite, and I said, I dont know. Ive beaten him so far. I got in trouble for that one for being arrogant. But I was beating him. Was that a bad answer?
Ty Tryon was 16 when he spent more time chasing the leaders than the cut line at the 2001 Honda Classic, eventually tying for 39th. Most recently, Tadd Fujikawa was 16 when he entered the final round of the Sony Open six shots out of the lead and tied for 20th.
Theres a lot of good, young kids coming along, Verplank said. That it happens three times in Europe over the last couple of years, you could construe that as another show of strength of our tournaments compared with everyone elses. But thats nothing against the amateur players. The best amateurs from around the world are as good as the best in the United States.
He certainly had no qualms with whom Lowry beat - Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood were among those who teed it up in the Irish Open, the highest-rated tournament in golf last week.
Likewise, Lee beat a group of players in Australia that included Westwood, Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas and Ian Poulter.
Verplank and Mickelson were among the best amateurs when they won as amateurs. Martin and Lee have a similar pedigree.
Martin first showed his stuff at age 17 when he was the 54-hole leader at the Spanish Open. He was named the top U.S. college golfer.
Lee was born in South Korea and groomed for golf in New Zealand. After supplanting Tiger Woods as the youngest U.S. Amateur champion, he made his U.S. PGA Tour debut last August at the Wyndham Championship and shot four rounds in the 60s to tie for 20th.
Lowry might have been the most unheralded of the three, although he was well-known in European golf circles. The Irishman now has to decide whether to stay amateur and compete at the Walker Cup, or cash in by turning pro.
Martin has not had a top 10 since he turned pro and now is No. 527 in the world. Lee has missed four cuts in the six times he has played since winning in Australia.
Perhaps Lowry should consider what Mickelson told The New York Times a few days after he won as an amateur.
It was unbelievable to me how, as soon as the tournament was over, everybody was hurrying to catch a flight for Hawaii, Mickelson said. I was so drained and so tired. There was no way I would have been able to play this week. Thats why right now I dont feel that Im ready to turn pro and play every day, week after week.
May 20, 2009
Henrik Stenson is focusing on winning his first major title rather than worrying about becoming the top-ranked player in the world.
The 33-year-old, who has risen to a career-best No. 4 following his victory in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass two weeks ago, is more interested in becoming the first Swedish mens player to win a major.
World Rankings are very important to me, Stenson said Tuesday. It would obviously mean a lot to be the highest-ranking player in the world at some point, but winning a major would be much more important to me than being the No. 1 player for a short period of time.
They kind of go hand in hand. If you win a couple of majors, youre probably going to get close to No. 1. So you are probably not going to do one without the other.
Stenson, speaking ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, acknowledged that winning a major will probably have to happen in the next five years when he expects to be at his peak.
I hope the next five years are going to be the best ones in my career, he said. I dont know if you can expect to win a major, but I sure hope so. Its a dream of mine. The result at Sawgrass tells me I am capable of doing it.
Stenson won the Dubai Desert Classic and Accenture Match Play within a few weeks of each other in 2007, but he probably achieved his greatest notoriety in March this year when he stripped down to his underwear to play a shot in the mud at the CA Championship at Doral.
The photos of the incident became front-page news around the world.
It traveled like a forest fire. I could never have imagined the impact it would have, he said.
Stenson is giving his backing to a Challenge Tour event in Sweden in late June. He played the Challenge Tour in the late 1990s, ahead of joining the full tour in 2000 and winning the Benson and Hedges International Open at The Belfry in 2001.
The Challenge Tour was very definitely a big help in me winning that event, he said.
May 20, 2009
Arnold Palmer called it a great thrill to accept an award bearing Byron Nelsons name on Tuesday.
I admired him so much as a youngster and followed his career and his game. Then, as time went on and I got to play, I got to know him pretty well, Palmer said after being presented with the Byron Nelson Prize. He was always ready to help.
The Byron Nelson Prize was established after Nelsons death in 2006. Its given to a person or organization in golf who exemplifies the ideals of giving back.
U.S. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who attended the opening ceremony of the HP Byron Nelson Championship where the prize was awarded, said anything that perpetuates Byrons memory is positive.
The prize comes with a $100,000 contribution to charity. That will be made to the Arnold D. And Winifred W. Palmer Charitable Foundation, which supports hospitals for women and children.
Part of the permanent trophy Palmer received includes one of 14 unfinished wooden clocks that were found in Nelsons workshop after he died.
In 1968, Nelson became the first player to have a tour event named after him. Palmer played in the tournament that year and 11 more times, finishing second in 1970.
The Nelson tournament is the biggest charity fundraiser on the tour, giving nearly $110 million to charities since its inception. That included more than $6 million last year.
Those things that Byron did over his life were pretty fantastic, and when he won 11 tournaments in a row, I was sitting on the edge of my seat watching and just waiting for it to happen again, Palmer said. The whole thing is that he was just a man that continued to contribute to not just the game of golf but to life and to other people. He was a person that I had the highest respect for.
Nelson won 52 tournaments, including five majors. In 1945, he won 11 consecutive tournaments and 18 overall - both records.
Palmer, who as a kid read a book written by Nelson and considers Lord Byron his hero, won 62 times. That is fifth-most on the U.S. PGA Tour career list and his streak of 17 consecutive years winning at least once (1955-71) matched Jack Nicklaus for a record.
Other than my father, I probably got more from Byron and the things that he did in golf than probably any other pro or person, Palmer said. I will not say that I tried to copy his style of play, but I did try to copy a lot of the things that he did and some of the discipline that he applied to himself and to his game. … Were talking about a great man, a great player and a great guy.
The previous Byron Nelson Prize recipients were Tom Lehman in 2007 and Ken Venturi last year.
May 19, 2009
Sinking a wedge from 112 yards for an eagle and scoring her first career hole-in-one six holes later in the opening round made Ji Young Oh believe she could win the Sybase Classic.
Oh turned that belief into reality Sunday, shooting a 2-under-par 70 on a raw, cold, windy day to capture the tournament by four strokes.
The round tied for the days second lowest, and it was more than enough to dash the hopes of Ohs more well-known competitors: Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer, Suzann Pettersen and Michelle Wie.
Pettersen mounted the most serious challenge, moving into a tie for the lead with eight holes to play. Oh played steady down the stretch and Pettersen made two big mistakes to allow the 20-year-old South Korean to walk away with her second LPGA title. Oh won the State Farm Classic in Illinois less than a year ago.
At the State Farm I didnt expect to win that tournament, the opportunity presented itself to me, she said through an interpreter. I played with a lot of great players (in this event) and from the first day when I made that hole-in-one I knew that trophy was waiting for me, and I needed to do everything in my power to win this tournament.
I really wanted it badly and there was no way I wasnt going to get it, she added.
Oh started the round tied with Pettersen for the lead, with Lincicome one shot back, and Wie and Creamer three behind.
Wie, the 19-year-old phenom still seeking her first LPGA win, and Creamer never challenged. Both hit into the water on the par-5 fifth hole, and Wie did it again in taking a double bogey at No. 12. They finished tied for third at 8 under on the Upper Montclair Country Club.
Lincicome, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship last month for her first title, struggled all day with her putting and finished at 6 under after a 77.
I expected to play some good golf today and not shoot 100, Lincicome quipped.
That left Oh and Pettersen to battle for the $300,000 top prize.
Pettersen bogeyed the first two holes and fell three behind after three holes. However, the 28-year-old Norwegian, who has five top-10 finishes this year, made up the difference with a 5-foot birdie at No. 6 and bogeys by Oh at the eighth and 10th holes.
A bad drive by Pettersen on the dogleg, 408-yard 12th hole led to a bogey and gave Oh the lead for good.
Pettersen missed birdie putts in the 15-foot range on the next four holes, and then handed Oh the tournament when she missed a 2-foot tap-in on No. 17. The margin grew to four shots when Oh rolled in a 7-foot birdie on the 72nd hole and Pettersen bogeyed after another bad drive.
To win golf tournaments you need to make putts when you really need to, Pettersen said. Today wasnt that day.
It was for Oh, who was always close to the lead after her opening 66. Despite trailing playing partners Lincicome and Pettersen by 50 yards on most drives, she showed a steady iron game, hit her rescue club well on long second shots, and played a great short game.
She saved par on the fourth hole with a bunker shot that rolled against the pin and dribbled 2 feet away. She sank a 15-foot putt for par on the ninth hole from a hole-high location on the fringe. She also lagged close for tap-ins at least a half-dozen times.
I was so nervous, but after the first few holes I became really calm and just thought about my game and just good shots and good putts, said Oh, whose best previous finish this year was a tie for sixth in the Mastercard Classic. Her other finishes this year were in the 30s and 40s.
Wie had a chance to get going early, but she missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole. She had a couple of good par-saving putts on the next three holes, but her demise started when she dumped a shot from 165 yards into the pond in front of No. 5.
I putted well today and drove the ball well, Wie said. If I could have hit a couple of irons better then it would have been a different story.
Three-time defending champion Lorena Ochoa, trying to join Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies as the only LPGA players to win an event four straight years, finished at 1 under.
I was just not on my best game this week, Ochoa said. I never got a good momentum, never felt comfortable out there.
May 19, 2009
Zach Johnson left town with another Texas Open win, a PGA Tour distinction and the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings.
No wonder hes going to miss it here.
Winning at La Cantera Golf Club for the second time in seven months, Johnson needed just one hole to beat James Driscoll in a sudden-death playoff Sunday and successfully defend his title for his sixth career tour victory.
Johnson beat Driscoll, who rallied from eight strokes back in a final-round shootout to force the playoff, with a 10-foot birdie on the par-4 18th. The two finished regulation at 15-under 265 - one the 2007 Masters champion, the other a conditional-status tour player who was 141st on the money list last year.
Johnson won in the La Cantera finale, with the tournament moving to a new TPC course in 2010.
Its bittersweet, but cant live in the past, said Johnson, who earned $1,098,000. Im looking forward to the future.
For now, that future includes the top ranking in the FedEx Cup standings over Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson - the only other two-time winners this season. Johnson also won the Sony Open in January.
He wouldnt have gotten this one without matching a course-record 60 on Saturday, when he erased a seven-stroke deficit in just 11 holes. Johnson is the first PGA Tour player to shoot 60 at least twice; he also did that at East Lake in the 2007 Tour Championship.
Didnt anticipate 60, Johnson said Sunday. I mean, whoever does?
Paul Goydos had a one-stroke lead with two holes to play, but closed with two bogeys for a 69, leaving him a stroke back along with Bill Haas (65), who birdied five of six holes on Nos. 11 through 16 but missed a 6-foot putt on the par-3 17th.
Australias Marc Leishman (68), Swedens Fredrik Jacobson (67) and three-time champion Justin Leonard (69) finished at 13 under. They were among seven players within one stroke of the lead with four holes left.
Driscoll was an afterthought at 7 under when the final round began, eight strokes behind Johnson and his group that included Goydos and Leonard. After wrapping up his 62, Driscoll had to wait more than an hour for Johnson to finish his round.
It was worth the wait, but it didnt last long.
You want to put the pressure on your opponent. Theres no doubt about it, Johnson said. Its not like he hit a bad shot. He hit 20-plus feet. He hit a good putt. So it just kind of went my way.
Driscoll was in position for the biggest comeback in the history of the Texas Open, which dates to 1922 and is the third-oldest event on the PGA Tour. Instead, Driscoll settled for only his third top-10 finish since a runner-up effort in the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
When you get that close to a win and that close to going to Augusta and going to Hawaii for the first tournament of the year, its a little disappointing, Driscoll said.
Goydos briefly topped a crowded leaderboard with a 13-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th before falling back on the last two holes, putting the 44-year-old and sympathetic favorite out of the running.
Goydos was playing four months to the day his former wife died. His final flaw, muffing his chip shot to a measly 7 feet on 18, denied him a spot in the playoff.
Goydos, who started the round two strokes back, led after 36 and was eyeing his first tour victory since 2007.
For 70 holes I did really good, Goydos said. Didnt hit a good putt on 17 and didnt hit a good shot on 18. And guys who play like that will do it.
Johnson is the first repeat winner at La Cantera since Leonard in 2000 and 2001. Leonard was a stroke back at 14 under through 16, but his chances at a record fourth Texas Open title ended when his 7-foot putt on 17 didnt reach the hole for par.
May 18, 2009
SAN ANTONIO -Zach Johnson successfully defended his Texas Open title Sunday, beating James Driscoll with a 12-foot birdie on the first hole of a playoff.
Seven months after winning for the first time at La Cantera Golf Club, Johnson shot an even-par 70 to match Driscoll (62) at 15-under 265.
Johnson, the FedEx Cup points leader, also won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. The 2007 Masters champion earned $1,098,000 for his sixth career PGA Tour victory.
Bill Haas (65) and Paul Goydos (69) tied for third, a stroke back.
Sybase Classic
CLIFTON, N.J. - South Koreas Ji Young Oh won the Sybase Classic for her second career LPGA Tour title, finishing with a 2-under 70 for a four-stroke victory over Norways Suzann Pettersen.
The 20-year-old Oh had a 14-under 274 total on the Upper Montclair Country Club course, and earned $300,000. Pettersen finished with a 74.
Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer had 73s to tie for third at 8 under. Lorena Ochoa, the winner the last three years, shot a 73 to finish at 1 under.
Irish Open
BALTRAY, Ireland - Irish amateur Shane Lowry won the Irish Open in his first PGA European Tour start, beating Englands Robert Rock with a par on the third hole of a playoff at County Louth.
Lowry, who missed a 3-foot putt on the final hole of regulation, matched Rock with a closing 1-under 71 and 17-under 271 total.
The 22-year-old Lowry became only the third amateur to win on the European tour. New Zealands Danny Lee won the Johnnie Walker Classic in February, and Spains Pablo Martin took the Russian Open in 2007.
Regions Charity Classic
HOOVER, Ala. - Keith Fergus won the rain-shortened Regions Charity Classic, shooting his second straight 6-under 66 for a three-stroke victory over Gene Jones.
Fergus waited out the second long rain delay in two days, then finished the second round in steady drizzle for his second Champions Tour win of the year.
Tournament officials decided before the restart not to try to get in the final 18 holes with the course soaked by more than an inch of rain over two days.
Jones also closed with a 66.
BMW Charity Pro-Am
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Australias Michael Sim won for the second time in his last three Nationwide Tour starts, beating Fabian Gomez with a par on the first hole of a playoff in the BMW Charity Pro-Am.
Sim, who followed a victory last month in California in the Stonebrae Classic with a playoff loss in the Athens Regional Foundation Classic, closed with a 2-under 69 on the Thornblade Club course to match Gomez (65) at 22-under 264.
The 24-year-old Sim, a victory away from earning an in-season promotion to the PGA Tour, earned $126,000, giving him a tour-best $367,417 in seven starts. He also teamed with singer Javier Colon to win the pro-am division.
May 18, 2009
James Driscoll didnt see where Zach Johnsons approach landed on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff Sunday.
He didnt have to. Thanks to the gallery, he heard it.
I figured it was about 10 feet, Driscoll said.
The crowd got even louder when Johnson sank the birdie putt to successfully defend his Texas Open title and end Driscolls unlikely final-round surge from eight strokes back at La Cantera Golf Club.
Johnsons win capped a wild shootout in which seven players stood within a stroke with four holes left. The 2007 Masters champion followed his third-round 60 with a 70 to match Driscoll at 15-under 265, then hit the 6-iron approach in the playoff set up his sixth career PGA Tour victory.
I feel very lucky, said Johnson, who earned $1,098,000.
Johnson vaulted to the top of the FedEx Cup standings, passing Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson - the only other two-time winners on the PGA Tour this season. Johnson also won the Sony Open in January.
Paul Goydos had a one-stroke lead with two holes to play, but closed with two bogeys for a 69, leaving him a stroke back along with Bill Haas (65), who birdied five of six holes on Nos. 11 through 16 but missed a 6-foot putt on the par-3 17th.
Australias Marc Leishman (68), Swedens Fredrik Jacobson (67) and three-time champion Justin Leonard (69) finished at 13 under.
Driscoll was an afterthought at 7 under when the final round began, eight strokes behind Johnson and his group that included Goydos and Leonard. After wrapping up his 62, Driscoll had to wait more than an hour for Johnson to finish his round.
It was worth the wait, but it didnt last long.
You want to put the pressure on your opponent. Theres no doubt about it, Johnson said. Its not like he hit a bad shot. He hit 20-plus feet. He hit a good putt. So it just kind of went my way.
Driscoll was in position for the biggest comeback in the history of the Texas Open, which dates to 1922 and is the third-oldest event on the PGA Tour. Instead, Driscoll settled for only his third top-10 finish and finish since a runner-up effort in the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
When you get that close to a win and that close to going to Augusta and going to Hawaii for the first tournament of the year, its a little disappointing, said Driscoll, who has conditional status on the tour after finishing 141st on the money list last year.
Goydos briefly topped a crowded leaderboard with a 13-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th before falling back on the last two holes, putting the 44-year-old and sympathetic favorite out of the running.
Goydos was playing four months to the day his former wife died. His final flaw, muffing his chip shot to a measly 7 feet on 18, denied him a spot in the playoff.
Goydos, who started the round two strokes back, led after 36 and was eyeing his first tour victory since 2007.
For 70 holes I did really good, Goydos said. Didnt hit a good putt on 17 and didnt hit a good shot on 18. And guys who play like that will do it.
Johnson is the first repeat winner at La Cantera since Leonard in 2000 and 2001. Leonard was a stroke back at 14 under through 16, but his chances at a record fourth Texas Open title ended when his 7-foot putt on 17 didnt reach the hole for par.
Next year, the tournament will move to a Greg Norman-designed TPC course.
May 18, 2009
Australias Michael Sim won for the second time in his last three Nationwide Tour starts, beating Fabian Gomez with a par on the first hole of a playoff Sunday in the BMW Charity Pro-Am.
Sim, who followed a victory last month in California in the Stonebrae Classic with a playoff loss in the Athens Regional Foundation Classic, closed with a 2-under 69 on the Thornblade Club course to match Gomez (65) at 22-under 264.
The 24-year-old Sim earned $126,000, giving him a tour-best $367,417 in seven starts. Hes $211,136 ahead of No. 2 Garth Mulroy, the largest gap in tour history.
I had a great offseason and I sat down with my coaches and set some goals for the year, said Sim, a victory away from earning an in-season promotion to the PGA Tour. I hadnt really been doing that lately. My biggest goal was to try and win three times. I also wanted to finish No. 1 on the money list.
D.J. Brigman (64) and Blake Adams (69) tied for third at 19 under.
Sim also teamed with singer Javier Colon to win the pro-am division. They finished with a 62 for a 47-under total.
May 15, 2009
Scores Thursday from the Texas Open, a $6,1 million US PGA Tour event on the 6,881-yard, par-70 (35-35) Resort Course at La Cantera Golf Club.
First Round
Paul Goydos 29-34-63
Justin Leonard 32-31-63
Jeff Maggert 34-30-64
Marc Leishman 32-32-64
Ted Purdy 33-31-64
Brian Davis 32-33-65
Greg Owen 34-31-65
Lee Janzen 32-34-66
David Duval 31-35-66
Stephen Ames 32-34-66
Corey Pavin 34-32-66
Willie Wood 34-32-66
J.J. Henry 34-32-66
Mathias Gronberg 34-32-66
Fredrik Jacobson 36-30-66
Dean Wilson 34-33-67
Bob Estes 33-34-67
Tim Clark 33-34-67
John Mallinger 34-33-67
Scott Verplank 34-33-67
Mark Wilson 34-33-67
Shaun Micheel 34-33-67
Bill Haas 38-29-67
Matt Jones 35-32-67
Matt Weibring 34-33-67
Wil Collins 34-33-67
James Driscoll 34-33-67
Gary Woodland 33-34-67
Harrison Frazar 35-32-67
Kent Jones 36-31-67
Kevin Stadler 34-33-67
Tim Herron 32-36-68
Charlie Wi 33-35-68
James Nitties 36-32-68
Grant Waite 33-35-68
Notah Begay III 35-33-68
Derek Fathauer 34-34-68
Scott Sterling 33-35-68
Marco Dawson 33-35-68
Patrick Sheehan 35-33-68
Chad Campbell 38-30-68
Zach Johnson 34-34-68
Garrett Willis 33-35-68
Briny Baird 34-34-68
Matt Bettencourt 33-35-68
Tag Ridings 35-34-69
Jay Williamson 35-34-69
Rocco Mediate 36-33-69
Anthony Kim 33-36-69
Rich Beem 36-33-69
Tim Wilkinson 35-34-69
Greg Chalmers 34-35-69
Ryan Palmer 35-34-69
Mark Hensby 36-33-69
Frank Lickliter II 35-34-69
Aron Price 36-33-69
Martin Piller 34-35-69
Scott McCarron 35-35-70
Jesper Parnevik 36-34-70
Steve Allan 36-34-70
Chez Reavie 33-37-70
Greg Kraft 34-36-70
Trevor Dodds 35-35-70
Nick OHern 36-34-70
Nathan Green 34-36-70
Jason Gore 38-32-70
Jay Delsing 33-37-70
Bryce Molder 35-35-70
Kris Blanks 36-34-70
Peter Tomasulo 35-35-70
Vaughn Taylor 35-35-70
Bart Bryant 35-35-70
Charles Warren 33-37-70
Charley Hoffman 34-36-70
Bob Burns 35-35-70
Paul Stankowski 35-35-70
Brandt Jobe 37-33-70
Todd Fischer 35-35-70
Guy Boros 34-36-70
Robin Freeman 34-36-70
Jimmy Walker 33-37-70
Colt Knost 35-35-70
Casey Wittenberg 33-37-70
Jonathan Kaye 36-35-71
Stephen Leaney 36-35-71
John Huston 34-37-71
Richard S. Johnson 38-33-71
Glen Day 35-36-71
Mark Brooks 36-35-71
Ricky Barnes 34-37-71
Tommy Gainey 35-36-71
Heath Slocum 33-38-71
J.P. Hayes 35-36-71
Carlos Franco 38-33-71
Daniel Chopra 35-36-71
Dicky Pride 35-36-71
Lance Ten Broeck 36-35-71
Bob Heintz 36-35-71
Scott Gutschewski 35-36-71
David Ogrin 34-38-72
Jim Gallagher, Jr. 35-37-72
David Peoples 34-38-72
Phil Tataurangi 36-36-72
Troy Kelly 37-35-72
James Oh 38-34-72
Tadd Fujikawa 37-35-72
Troy Matteson 36-36-72
Nicholas Thompson 38-34-72
Eric Axley 36-36-72
J.L. Lewis 38-34-72
Brian Bateman 34-38-72
Chris DiMarco 37-35-72
Chris Riley 36-36-72
Billy Andrade 34-38-72
Steve Pate 36-36-72
Tom Byrum 37-35-72
Tyler Aldridge 37-35-72
Chris Stroud 35-37-72
Brian Vranesh 37-35-72
Jarrod Lyle 39-33-72
Matthew Loving 36-36-72
Neal Lancaster 35-38-73
Omar Uresti 36-37-73
Alex Cejka 38-35-73
Roland Thatcher 36-37-73
Rick Price 36-37-73
Stephen Dartnall 37-36-73
Joe Durant 36-37-73
Brad Adamonis 36-37-73
Mike Heinen 37-36-73
Spencer Levin 38-35-73
Robert Gates 35-38-73
Bill Lunde 37-36-73
Tim Thelen 38-35-73
Cameron Beckman 36-38-74
D.J. Trahan 35-39-74
Brendon de Jonge 37-37-74
Matthew Borchert 35-39-74
Chris Baryla 35-39-74
Dustin Johnson 38-36-74
Darron Stiles 35-39-74
Ted Schulz 38-36-74
David Mathis 39-36-75
Jim McGovern 40-35-75
Brent Geiberger 36-39-75
D.A. Points 38-37-75
Brendon Todd 39-36-75
Jason Day 35-41-76
Joe Ogilvie 37-39-76
Robert Gamez 40-36-76
Kenny Knox 40-38-78
Aaron Watkins 40-38-78
Nolan Henke 41-38-79
Kirk Triplett 36-43-79
Leif Olson 43-36-79
Jose Coceres 40-40-80
May 15, 2009
Bob Tway feels a bit like a rookie going into his first Champions Tour event since hell be playing on an unfamiliar course against a different roster of players than he has been facing lately on the US PGA circuit.
Tway turned 50 on May 4, making him eligible for the Champions Tour. The eight-time U.S. PGA Tour winner will debut on Friday in the $1.7 million Regions Charity Classic on the 7,503-yard, par-72 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge.
Not everything about the venue is unfamiliar to Tway. Walking into the players dining room and seeing plenty of familiar faces he used to frequently compete against was hardly a rookie moment.
It was quite special, said Tway, who won the 1986 U.S. PGA Championship. It brought a smile to my face. All of a sudden, I kind of thought, This is pretty cool.
The first player to make his Champions Tour debut this year, Tom Lehman, teamed with Bernhard Langer to win the Legends Division at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in his initial start. Only 12 other first-timers have accomplished that.
And Tway isnt predicting hell add to that number.
Do I think Im going to go out there and win? I dont think Ive ever felt that, he said. I just kind of go and prepare and play and try to give myself a chance. I dont know what to expect this week. Ill probably be nervous, because Im sure people expect me to go out and play great.
Tway had initially committed to play the U.S. PGAs Texas Open in San Antonio this week but decided to move up his Champions Tour debut.
I was going to start next week, then I started thinking, Maybe theres going to be some extra things you have to do your first time out. It might be easier to do that this week than next week in the PGA, Tway said. I just thought, What the heck, Ill just go play.
Tway has only made the cut once in six U.S. PGA Tour events this year, tying for 42nd at the FBR Open.
He has talked to others on the 50-and-over tour leading up to his first start.
The advice: They all say just go and enjoy yourself. Thats how Im going to look at it, he said. I love to play golf, I love to practice, I love to compete.
