Archive for September, 2009
September 18, 2009
South Koreans Song-Hee Kim and Jiyai Shin each shot 6-under 66s to share the lead atop the elite 20-player field in the opening round of the Samsung World Championship at Torrey Pines on Thursday.
Kim was the runner-up in this tournament last year, losing by one stroke to Paula Creamer at Half Moon Bay in Northern California. Kim started strong, with five birdies in her first eight holes on the South Course. Shin, coming off her U.S. LPGA Tour-leading third victory of the year at the NW Arkansas Championship, had four birdies on the back nine.
Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and Sophie Gustafson of Sweden were one stroke behind the leaders on a perfect, calm day on the blufftop municipal course overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where Tiger Woods claimed his epic win in the 2008 U.S. Open.
Shin even had a Tiger moment on the par-5, 480-yard 18th. She said she couldnt reach the green in two shots during two practice rounds, but the pin was moved forward 18 yards on Thursday and she reached in two, then two-putted for birdie.
So last year Tiger won, I watched on the TV, and then he made a great birdie, she said, recalling the hole where Woods made a 12-foot birdie on the final hole to force an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate, then made a 4-foot birdie in the playoff the next day to force sudden death.
Kim said she had an easy birdie. So I was really surprised. Its an easy 18 holes.
Gustafson had an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys.
Well, I certainly recognize most of the holes, for example the seventh, she said. Thats where they finished the U.S. Open, and they must have been, you know, way back.
Eleven players were under par and three were even. The main reasons were the lack of wind and pin placements, Ochoa said.
Its set up for a low day. Im just glad I took advantage of that and I am right there where I should be, Ochoa said. You never know, tomorrow the wind gets a little more and the combination with tough pin placements, maybe even par is a great round.
Yardage was listed at 6,721, but some holes were shortened, particularly some of the par-5s.
By comparison, the U.S. Open scorecard read 7,643 yards, but the course actually played between 7,400 and 7,500 yards because the tee boxes were switched every day.
Ai Miyazato of Japan and Juli Inkster were tied for fifth at 68. Inkster, a three-time winner, received an exemption.
Creamer was seventh with a 3-under 69. Shes still looking for her first win of the season after battling a mystery illness. She said she got sick after going to Mexico in November for the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, and that doctors werent able to solve the problem.
Ochoa, playing with Creamer, bogeyed the par-4 No. 1 after driving into a bunker, then picked up the pace with birdies on four of the last five holes on the front nine.
Ochoa finished her round with a two-putt birdie on the par-5, 480-yard 18th.
September 14, 2009
Scores Sunday from the LPGA Tours PG Beauty NW Arkansas Championship at the par-71, 6,244-yard Pinnacle Country Club course.
Final Round
(a-amateur)
(x-won on second playoff hole)
x-Jiyai Shin, $270,000 70-70-64-204
Sun Young Yoo, $143,063 69-67-68-204
Angela Stanford, $143,063 66-69-69-204
Shi Hyun Ahn, $83,981 71-68-66-205
Song-Hee Kim, $83,981 65-68-72-205
Taylor Leon, $61,284 71-68-67-206
Hye Jung Choi, $48,119 68-69-70-207
Na Yeon Choi, $48,119 71-65-71-207
Becky Morgan, $40,402 72-69-67-208
Seon Hwa Lee, $33,092 74-68-67-209
Ai Miyazato, $33,092 72-68-69-209
Hee Young Park, $33,092 68-72-69-209
Helen Alfredsson, $33,092 69-69-71-209
Hee-Won Han, $23,968 72-68-70-210
Natalie Gulbis, $23,968 71-69-70-210
Paula Creamer, $23,968 70-70-70-210
Sandra Gal, $23,968 64-76-70-210
Na Ri Kim, $23,968 70-67-73-210
M.J. Hur, $23,968 69-68-73-210
Yani Tseng, $23,968 68-68-74-210
Moira Dunn, $18,385 70-71-70-211
Stacy Lewis, $18,385 73-67-71-211
Paige Mackenzie, $18,385 69-70-72-211
Wendy Ward, $18,385 69-69-73-211
Stacy Prammanasudh, $18,385 68-70-73-211
Jane Park, $18,385 67-70-74-211
a-Kelli Shean 76-67-69-212
Kyeong Bae, $14,015 69-74-69-212
Joo Mi Kim, $14,015 73-69-70-212
Young Kim, $14,015 70-70-72-212
Eun-Hee Ji, $14,015 67-73-72-212
Eunjung Yi, $14,015 70-69-73-212
Cristie Kerr, $14,015 69-70-73-212
Michelle Wie, $14,015 69-70-73-212
Pat Hurst, $14,015 66-71-75-212
Jimin Kang, $10,100 71-73-69-213
Lindsey Wright, $10,100 69-75-69-213
Kristy McPherson, $10,100 73-70-70-213
Teresa Lu, $10,100 68-75-70-213
Eva Dahllof, $10,100 70-72-71-213
Maria Hjorth, $10,100 70-71-72-213
Morgan Pressel, $10,100 71-69-73-213
Irene Cho, $10,100 68-71-74-213
Sarah Jane Smith, $7,595 73-71-70-214
Karine Icher, $7,595 73-69-72-214
Julieta Granada, $7,595 72-69-73-214
Mikaela Parmlid, $7,595 72-69-73-214
Beth Bader, $7,595 71-70-73-214
Brittany Lang, $7,595 66-72-76-214
Chella Choi, $6,287 70-72-73-215
Katherine Hull, $6,287 69-73-73-215
Amy Hung, $6,287 72-68-75-215
Giulia Sergas, $6,287 70-69-76-215
Ji Young Oh, $5,094 73-71-72-216
Allison Hanna-Williams, $5,094 71-72-73-216
Alena Sharp, $5,094 70-73-73-216
Jeong Jang, $5,094 67-75-74-216
Katie Futcher, $5,094 69-72-75-216
Jee Young Lee, $5,094 69-72-75-216
Christina Kim, $5,094 72-68-76-216
Vicky Hurst, $5,094 68-72-76-216
Soo-Yun Kang, $5,094 67-73-76-216
Leta Lindley, $4,312 72-71-74-217
Mika Miyazato, $4,312 71-72-74-217
Candie Kung, $4,040 71-73-74-218
Janice Moodie, $4,040 71-72-75-218
Anna Grzebien, $4,040 70-73-75-218
Se Ri Pak, $4,040 70-71-77-218
Anna Rawson, $3,722 71-72-76-219
Jennifer Rosales, $3,722 71-70-78-219
Karen Stupples, $3,722 67-72-80-219
Mollie Fankhauser, $3,563 73-71-76-220
Michele Redman, $3,563 71-73-76-220
Danielle Downey, $3,494 71-72-79-222
Rachel Hetherington, $3,449 72-72-80-224
September 14, 2009
John Senden secured the 30th and final spot for the Tour Championship, giving him at least a mathematical chance of the $10 million prize and a spot in three of the majors next year.
How he made it required a bizarre sequence of bad golf.
Senden failed to do his part by closing with a 77 in the BMW Championship, which included a wedge he chunked so badly that it came up 40 yards short of the green, and a bunker shot he practically shanked into a water hazard.
He was saved a shocking finish from Brandt Snedeker. Needing only two putts from 12 feet on the final hole at Cog Hill to make bogey earn an unlikely spot at East Lake, Snedeker four-putted for triple bogey.
The crucial miss was a 3-foot bogey putt that he tried to jam in the cup, only for it to catch the lip. Stunned by the miss, Snedeker missed the next two from tap-in range.
I cant believe I did this, Snedeker said. I just made a mess of it.
Tiger Woods turned the third playoff event for the FedEx Cup into a snoozer, going 62-68 on the weekend for an eight-shot victory that put him atop the standings going into the final tournament of the year.
The drama came from everyone else.
British Open champion Stewart Cink was projected to finish out of the top 30 when he arrived at Cog Hill, and he was 3 over after his opening five holes. That changed with an eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie stretch.
Standing on the sixth green, he noticed his projected position at No. 28.
It got in my head a little bit, and I wish I hadnt seen it, he said.
No matter. He made pars the next three holes, then finished with a 20-foot birdie to finish at No. 26 and at least get to play at East Lake, which he considers his home course in Atlanta.
Its certainly stressful if youre in with these other guys that are fighting it out, Cink said. It needs to be that.
Other big moves:
- Luke Donald made a 5-foot par putt on the 18th hole that kept him inside the top 30 (No. 28), a position he secured only when Senden and Snedeker dropped shots behind him.
- Jerry Kelly made a 10-foot birdie putt on his final hole to grab the 29th position.
After much hang-wringing and computations, only two players moved into the top 30 - Donald and Marc Leishman, replacing Ian Poulter (75) and Charley Hoffman (77). Poulters hopes ended when he put his approach in the water at the 18th.
The big surprise was Leishman, a rookie from Australia.
He was on the verge of being eliminated last week until making an eagle on his last hole at TPC Boston to narrowly make the 70-man field at No. 67. Because of a fog delay that led to threesomes in the final round, he wound up in the last group with Woods.
Leishman answered by playing bogey-free for a 69. Now, hes all the way to No. 16 with a realistic chance at the $10 million prize.
Im in the Tour Championship now and the Masters, Leishman said. Its pretty hard to wipe the smile off my face.
Perhaps the biggest move belonged to Jim Furyk, who knew he was playing for second when he saw Woods building on a seven-shot lead. Only after he shot 66 to tie for second did Furyk realize he moved up 15 spots to No. 3 in the standings.
Only the top five control their fate at East Lake - Woods, Steve Stricker, Furyk, Zach Johnson and Heath Slocum can win the FedEx Cup with a victory in two weeks. Everyone else will need some help.
Some of them - such as Leishman, Kelly, Cink and Senden - were simply happy to be there.
September 14, 2009
Scores Sunday from the BMW Championship, a $7,5 million US PGA Tour playoff event on 7,616-yard, par-71 Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club.
Final
FedExCup points in parentheses
Tiger Woods (2500), $1,350,000 68-67-62-68-265
Jim Furyk (1250), $660,000 70-70-67-66-273
Marc Leishman (1250), $660,000 67-69-68-69-273
Sean OHair (750), $360,000 70-68-70-66-274
Zach Johnson (550), $300,000 73-65-70-68-276
Sergio Garcia (475), $260,625 71-68-68-71-278
Padraig Harrington (475), $260,625 68-68-69-73-278
Camilo Villegas (413), $225,000 68-74-71-66-279
Kevin Na (413), $225,000 72-72-65-70-279
Bill Haas (327), $172,500 71-68-71-70-280
Mark Wilson (327), $172,500 69-66-71-74-280
Luke Donald (327), $172,500 70-69-68-73-280
Matt Kuchar (327), $172,500 71-68-66-75-280
Brandt Snedeker (327), $172,500 69-69-66-76-280
Stephen Ames (275), $127,500 76-67-69-69-281
Bo Van Pelt (275), $127,500 67-69-72-73-281
Bubba Watson (275), $127,500 69-68-70-74-281
Steve Marino (263), $108,750 66-77-68-71-282
Rory Sabbatini (263), $108,750 66-70-72-74-282
Mike Weir (250), $90,500 72-69-71-71-283
Ian Poulter (250), $90,500 69-71-68-75-283
John Senden (250), $90,500 70-70-66-77-283
Retief Goosen (228), $64,875 72-72-71-69-284
Chad Campbell (228), $64,875 70-70-72-72-284
Stewart Cink (228), $64,875 72-74-70-68-284
Anthony Kim (228), $64,875 69-69-72-74-284
Kevin Sutherland (228), $64,875 75-67-67-75-284
David Toms (228), $64,875 68-71-69-76-284
Robert Allenby (210), $53,250 75-74-67-69-285
Dustin Johnson (188), $43,594 69-73-71-73-286
Nick Watney (188), $43,594 70-71-73-72-286
Jason Dufner (188), $43,594 74-70-69-73-286
Fredrik Jacobson (188), $43,594 72-71-70-73-286
Charles Howell III (188), $43,594 69-72-70-75-286
Phil Mickelson (188), $43,594 71-69-70-76-286
Ryan Moore (188), $43,594 71-72-75-68-286
Tim Clark (188), $43,594 78-69-73-66-286
Hunter Mahan (150), $30,750 73-73-69-72-287
John Mallinger (150), $30,750 68-76-69-74-287
John Rollins (150), $30,750 73-65-74-75-287
Heath Slocum (150), $30,750 70-69-72-76-287
Charlie Wi (150), $30,750 71-73-72-71-287
Scott Verplank (150), $30,750 70-75-72-70-287
Ernie Els (150), $30,750 75-67-77-68-287
Brian Davis (123), $22,575 71-70-72-75-288
Kenny Perry (123), $22,575 77-69-70-72-288
Angel Cabrera (123), $22,575 73-75-69-71-288
Ben Crane (123), $22,575 75-69-76-68-288
Pat Perez (103), $18,713 72-71-73-73-289
Justin Leonard (103), $18,713 73-69-75-72-289
Davis Love III (103), $18,713 74-77-67-71-289
Jerry Kelly (103), $18,713 76-73-69-71-289
Steve Stricker (88), $17,550 72-73-68-77-290
Nathan Green (88), $17,550 73-74-73-70-290
Bryce Molder (73), $17,025 70-73-71-77-291
Geoff Ogilvy (73), $17,025 68-73-75-75-291
Brian Gay (73), $17,025 73-71-75-72-291
Woody Austin (73), $17,025 76-72-72-71-291
Jason Bohn (58), $16,575 71-74-74-73-292
Jason Day (58), $16,575 71-73-75-73-292
Jeff Overton (43), $16,125 72-68-75-78-293
Charley Hoffman (43), $16,125 73-71-72-77-293
Webb Simpson (43), $16,125 70-74-73-76-293
Jonathan Byrd (43), $16,125 69-79-73-72-293
Y.E. Yang (30), $15,750 71-78-73-75-297
Lucas Glover (25), $15,600 74-75-71-79-299
Paul Goydos (20), $15,450 74-72-73-81-300
J.B. Holmes (15), $15,300 78-73-72-81-304
September 14, 2009
Josh Teater shot a final-round 3-under 68 to finish at 20 under and win the Utah Championship on Sunday for his first victory as a professional.
Tyler Aldridge was second after shooting a 66. Andrew Buckle (68), Matt Jones (68), Steve Wheatcroft (69) and John Kimbell (72) were tied another shot back.
Teater moved to eighth place on the Nationwide earnings list. He is certain to finish in the top 25 and earn a PGA Tour card for 2010 after the Nationwide Championship next month.
Its a great feeling, Teater said. But you have to keep playing well to finish as high as possible in The 25 to get in as many tournaments as possible next year, so Im going to keep my foot down and try to keep making birdies.
Teater, a 30-year-old from Lexington, Ky., is playing his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour. The former Morehead State standout turned professional in 2002, but has played primarily on the mini-tour circuit. Teater made the cut for the 13th time in 21 events he previously had just two top-10 finishes.
After leading by one stroke following the third round, Teater quickly built on his advantage on Sunday. He had an eagle, a par and a birdie on the first three holes to extend his lead to four shots. However he then had bogeys on Nos. 6, 8 and 9.
The weather played a factor on the front nine, Teater said. The wind was blowing a bit, which we hadnt seen all week. I might have been a little greedy with my tee shot on eight that ended in the water. But I took my medicine and made a good bogey there.
Aldridge, playing five groups ahead of Teater, birdied three in a row to take a share of the lead at 17 under. Just as he did in the third round, Teater got back on track with birdies on Nos. 10, 12 and 13 to get back to 20 under.
When I got to the back nine my thought was to give myself a chance at nine birdies and I did a pretty good job at that, he said.
Teater then had par on the next three holes before getting an eagle on the par-5 17th hole.
Aldridge faltered with bogeys on his final two holes, giving Teater a six-stroke lead heading into No. 18. After his tee shot landed in the water, Teater finished up with a double-bogey to earn his first pro win.
Teater became the fourth rookie to win a Nationwide Tour event this year, joining Alistair Presnell, Derek Lamely and Troy Merritt.
September 12, 2009
The Los Angeles Country Club has been selected by the USGA to host the 2017 Walker Cup.
The competition will be held on the North Course, which opened in 1921.
The event will be the third USGA event at the club. The 1930 U.S. Womens Amateur and the 1954 U.S. Junior Amateur were also held on the course originally designed by W. Herbert Fowler.
The only Walker Cup to be held in California was in 1981 at Cypress Point.
The biennial amateur competition is being played this week at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
September 12, 2009
Sandra Gals approach shot barely cleared the steep hill in front of the 18th green, bouncing to within about 15 feet of the hole.
All that stood between her and sole possession of the lead was one big putt - and putting hadnt been much of a problem for the 24-year-old from Germany.
Ive been aiming it a little to the left, and Ive been working on aiming it more on line, Gal said. And my caddie was checking my line a little better, so I just feel Im a little more confident over my putts because I know Im starting them where I want without compensating.
Gal made that last putt for an eagle on the final hole to finish at 7-under 64 in the first round of the PG Beauty NW Arkansas Championship on Friday. Shes one stroke ahead of Song-Hee Kim in the 54-hole event.
Brittany Lang, Pat Hurst and Angela Stanford are another stroke back in third.
Gal, who played at the University of Florida, was about 190 yards from the front of the green on No. 18, a 515-yard par 5. She took her time setting up a 4-iron approach and said she was never certain if she would reach the green.
I knew I could hit it to that bank and it would kind of skip to the hole, Gal said. I had backed off of it because I was aiming wrong.
She reached the green, then made another putt. Earlier, shed made a 20-footer for birdie on No. 3 and a 25-footer for birdie on No. 15. Now shes atop the leaderboard at an event that includes big names like Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer.
Gal is trying for her first win on the LPGA Tour. She led the Womens British Open this year after the first round, but shot an 80 in the second and finished tied for 33rd.
Kim, of South Korea, finished with back-to-back birdies Friday to put herself momentarily in front of the field. Her first-round 65 came a week after a wildly inconsistent performance in Canada that landed her in a tie for 10th at a tournament there.
Kim shot a 62 in the second round of the Canadian Womens Open, earning a share of the lead. She followed that up with a 77, then bounced back a bit with a final-round 67 for her seventh top 10 finish of the year.
Kerr, the tours leading money winner this year, shot a 69 Friday, one shot better than Creamer. Michelle Wie birdied the first three holes but had to settle for a 69.
Seon Hwa Lee, this tournaments defending champion, shot a 74.
Lang eagled the par-5 14th. Her 5-iron approach rolled from the back of the green back down to within 4 feet of the hole.
We were in between clubs, Lang said. I wanted to take that club, because even if you got it past, it would come back.
The course at Pinnacle Country Club was recently renovated. On Friday, it played as a 6,244-yard par 71 - it was a par 72 last year.
I basically threw my yardage book out at the beginning of the week, said Paige Mackenzie, who shot a 69.
The other big difference is the weather - so far. Two years ago, this event was called off after 18 holes because of heavy rain. Rain was a factor last year as well, although players were able to finish the tournament.
It was sunny Friday for the first round, although theres no telling what the weekend could bring.
It was definitely wonderful weather today, Gal said. Thats one thing I was trying to do today. I was like, The weather shouldnt be that good on the weekend. I was trying to get something in today.
September 11, 2009
Scores Thursday from the BMW Championship, a $7,5 million US PGA Tour playoff event on 7,616-yard, par-71 Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club.
First Round
Rory Sabbatini 33-33-66
Steve Marino 33-33-66
Bo Van Pelt 35-32-67
Marc Leishman 32-35-67
David Toms 35-33-68
Padraig Harrington 34-34-68
Geoff Ogilvy 37-31-68
Tiger Woods 34-34-68
Camilo Villegas 33-35-68
John Mallinger 33-35-68
Ian Poulter 33-36-69
Anthony Kim 36-33-69
Bubba Watson 34-35-69
Jonathan Byrd 36-33-69
Mark Wilson 35-34-69
Brandt Snedeker 33-36-69
Dustin Johnson 35-34-69
Charles Howell III 34-35-69
John Senden 33-37-70
Heath Slocum 34-36-70
Nick Watney 33-37-70
Sean OHair 33-37-70
Jim Furyk 32-38-70
Scott Verplank 33-37-70
Luke Donald 34-36-70
Webb Simpson 37-33-70
Bryce Molder 34-36-70
Chad Campbell 35-35-70
Jason Day 36-35-71
Y.E. Yang 36-35-71
Brian Davis 34-37-71
Matt Kuchar 35-36-71
Bill Haas 36-35-71
Ryan Moore 35-36-71
Phil Mickelson 36-35-71
Sergio Garcia 38-33-71
Charlie Wi 38-33-71
Jason Bohn 37-34-71
Pat Perez 39-33-72
Steve Stricker 36-36-72
Jeff Overton 37-35-72
Stewart Cink 37-35-72
Mike Weir 37-35-72
Kevin Na 36-36-72
Retief Goosen 37-35-72
Fredrik Jacobson 35-37-72
John Rollins 37-36-73
Hunter Mahan 38-35-73
Charley Hoffman 36-37-73
Brian Gay 35-38-73
Angel Cabrera 37-36-73
Zach Johnson 37-36-73
Justin Leonard 36-37-73
Nathan Green 34-39-73
Paul Goydos 35-39-74
Davis Love III 39-35-74
Lucas Glover 37-37-74
Jason Dufner 37-37-74
Kevin Sutherland 39-36-75
Ernie Els 36-39-75
Ben Crane 39-36-75
Robert Allenby 38-37-75
Woody Austin 38-38-76
Stephen Ames 37-39-76
Jerry Kelly 40-36-76
Kenny Perry 40-37-77
J.B. Holmes 42-36-78
Tim Clark 37-41-78
September 11, 2009
Two days after being left off the Presidents Cup team, Rory Sabbatini had seven birdies in a round of 5-under 66 to share the lead with Steve Marino in the BMW Championship on Thursday.
They had a one-shot lead over Bo Van Pelt and Marc Leishman, who only qualified for the third U.S. PGA Tour playoff event by making an eagle on his final hole on Monday in the Duetsche Bank Championship.
Tiger Woods, a four-time winner at Cog Hill, was among those at 68.
The group included Geoff Ogilvy and Padraig Harrington. Ogilvy was the first player to get to 5 under, which he attributed to a few long birdie putts. He took a double bogey on the seventh hole by hitting his tee shot into the water, yet recovered with consecutive birdies to end his round.
Sabbatini won the Byron Nelson Championship in May and appeared to be in good shape to make the Presidents Cup team until Y.E. Yang stunned the golf world with his comeback win over Woods at the U.S. PGA Championship to bump Sabbatini out of the top 10.
Team captain Greg Norman then used his two captains picks on 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa of Japan, who has won four times in the last calendar year; and Adam Scott of Australia, who was in the worst slump of his career and has fallen out of the top 50 in the world ranking.
Right after his low round, Sabbatini took the high road.
If Id been playing well over the past couple weeks and didnt get picked, I might have something to complain about, said Sabbatini, who has missed four cuts in his last eight starts and has not finished in the top 30 since winning in Dallas. But you know what? The situation is such … Im here this week. Im going to focus on this.
Scott had two top 10s this year - the Sony Open in January and the Scottish Open in July - without another finish in the top 20. Norman said Scott was the logical choice.
What disturbed Sabbatini was not hearing from Norman or anyone else during the three weeks after the U.S. PGA Championship when the captain makes his two selections.
There was not a single conversation or a single phone call, period, Sabbatini said. You could say I was a little disappointed.
The spunky South African was hardly disappointed by anything at Cog Hill, the public course in the Chicago suburbs which received a facelift from Rees Jones. It is longer and tougher, with deeper bunkers, and it was reflected in the scoring.
The weather was close to perfect, with sunshine and mild wind. When the BMW Championship was last played at Cog Hill two years ago, in soft conditions from rain, Woods won at 22-under 262.
Woods at least kept himself in the mix this week, making a few good par saves and three birdie putts inside 5 feet.
I think anything under par is a really good score, Woods said. Usually, it takes a little bit before the guys get accustomed to what the scoring is going to be. The whole idea is, I think more than anything, the guys are trying to get accustomed to where to miss the golf ball, because the misses are so different than what they used to be.
Steve Stricker, whose victory last week in the Deutsche Bank Championship put him atop the FedEx Cup standings, had a three-putt from 10 feet at the turn and didnt make another birdie until his final hole for a 72.
Heath Slocum, The Barclays winner who is No. 3 in the standings behind Woods, opened with a 1-under 70.
Only 70 players qualified for this third playoff event, and the top 30 advance to the Tour Championship in two weeks with a chance to win the $10 million bonus.
September 10, 2009
Only one day separated the final round of one US PGA Tour playoff event and the pro-am round of the next one, and even players who are in the best position to capture the FedEx Cup and its $10 million prize are fighting some fatigue.
Tiger Woods might have summed it up best.
Walking off the fifth tee early Wednesday at Cog Hill, he turned to a member of his staff and said with a mock moan, I dont want to go to school today.
A few minutes later, Woods added, It will be a little different on Thursday.
The BMW Championship is the third straight week of the playoffs, one step closer to the biggest prize in golf, and the possibilities keep growing. No one paid much attention to Heath Slocum until he won The Barclays. Woods was at his customary top of the list until Steve Stricker birdied the last two holes to win the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday outside Boston and move to No. 1 in the standings.
That means he will be playing the first two rounds with Woods for the third straight week.
It would really be nice to have the lead going into the Tour Championship, Stricker said. That means going out this week and playing well to maintain that lead. I have every belief that Tiger is going to play great, so that means that Im going to have to play good.
The pressure is getting bigger every week we play.
The Dubsdread course at Cog Hill was recently renovated by Rees Jones with hopes of attracting a U.S. Open. It measures 7,616 yards at a par 71, and it should be all the players can handle.
Its a big, tough golf course, Padraig Harrington said. It looks like its going to put plenty of pressure on all the players out there this week. I hope it suits my game. I hope I play well on it.
Harrington is glad to have a chance. Winless since the U.S. PGA Championship last year, he was outside the top 125 to get into the playoffs until he finished second at the Bridgestone Invitational, then gave himself chances to win his next three starts.
Just like that, he is up to No. 7 in the standings, and still pushing hard.
On one hand, Im losing a little bit in terms of fatigue, Harrington said. But Im still motivated because I havent won. If I had won over the last couple of weeks, Id have a big dropoff. Whats keeping me going is the fact that I havent won. Im pushing hard and Im focused to do that, and in many ways, Im on the edge in that sense. I could definitely see a win making me totally drop back off.
And if he were to win the BMW Championship? Would he lose his edge for the Tour Championship?
If youve got a chance of winning it, theres enough motivation there, he said. Ten million reasons to win that one.
Woods hasnt played this much since 2006, when he played six times over seven weeks. That included the World Match Play Championship, which lasted only one round, and the Ryder Cup, which can feel like two weeks.
He was winning those tournaments, sometimes with ease, compared with having to grind into contention and having it go wrong at the end. Woods had his back stretched after the third round at the Deutsche Bank because it was tight.
In another sign that he is pacing himself, Woods didnt hit balls after any of his rounds last week. Just dont get the idea that he will sleepwalk through four days at Cog Hill, where he has won four times.
Thursday through Sunday is all good, he said. Thats not a problem. Your adrenaline is up playing an event. You definitely get fired up for that, not a problem. Its getting out here and having long practice sessions and things like that. You start cutting back on that and just have a short burst, and make sure you get your rest.
Only the top 30 in the standings after this week qualify for the Tour Championship, and the top five will be in position to win the $10 million prize with a victory at East Lake, no matter what anyone else does.
The good news? They have a week off after Cog Hill before the FedEx Cup finale.
