Archive for November, 2009
November 30, 2009
Leading scores Sunday after the final round of the LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup at Miyazaki Country Club (6,508 yards, par 72) in Miyazaki Prefecture Sakura Yokomine.
69-71-73-69–282 Lee Ji Hee, S. Korea
72-70-71-70–283 Shinobu Moromizato
73-69-70-71–283 Mayu Hattori
75-68-68-72–283 Akane Iijima
74-69-65-75–283 Ai Miyazato
74-69-71-70–284 Momoko Ueda
69-70-75-70–284 Yukari Baba
72-68-74-71–285 Chie Arimura
73-70-71-72–286 Miho Koga
71-71-71-73–286 Song Bo Bae, S. Korea
73-71-68-76–288 Lim Eun A, S. Korea
70-73-71-75–289 Miki Saiki
74-71-69-75–289 Jeon Mi Jeong, S. Korea 72-70-74-74–290 Nikki Campbell, Australia 73-73-71-74–291 Tamie Durdin, Australia 72-75-77-69–293 Akiko Fukushima
76-74-73-70–293 Ayako Uehara
72-75-72-75–294 Rui Kitada
76-72-77-71–296 Hwang Ah Reum, S. Korea 72-76-74-75–297 Yuri Fudo
78-77-73-71–299 Yuko Saito
77-72-75-75–299 Erina Hara
70-80-76-81–307
November 30, 2009
John Daly says he doesnt want to know details of the late night car crash that left Tiger Woods with bloodied lips and a marred reputation.
The dual major winner, who has had his share of explaining to do in an often troubled career, told reporters in Australia on Monday he just wants Woods fit and back on the tour.
Daly will play the Australian Open from Thursday and made it clear he doesnt share a public fascination with the facts behind Woods middle-of-the-night drive and collision.
I dont really care what happened between Tiger and … whatever happened. Im just glad hes OK, Daly said.
We need him, probably more than anybody on the tour, to keep things going, the way the economy is.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol accident report, Woods had just pulled out of his driveway when he struck a fire hydrant and then a tree. Woods later said he had cuts, bruising and right now Im a little sore.
Daly said whatever physical damage Woods had suffered, he hoped it mended quickly.
Tigers the biggest asset the tours had in a long, long time, he said. Whatever happened, as long as hes OK thats all that matters.
Golf needs him badly … no doubt.
Woods is scheduled to compete at his Chevron World Challenge, which starts Thursday in Thousand Oaks, California, although his tournament director did not know Woods status for the tournament - whether he would play or even attend.
November 28, 2009
Tiger Woods sustained facial cuts in a minor car accident early Friday when his SUV hit a fire hydrant and a neighbors tree as he was leaving his mansion in a gated waterfront community near Orlando, Fla.
The worlds No. 1 golfer was treated and released from a hospital in good condition, his spokesman said. The Florida Highway Patrol said Woods vehicle hit a fire hydrant and a tree in his neighbors yard after he pulled out of his driveway at 2:25 a.m.
Windermere, Fla., police chief Daniel Saylor told The Associated Press that officers found the 33-year-old PGA Tour star lying in the street with his wife, Elin, hovering over him.
She was frantic, upset, Saylor said in a briefing Friday night. It was her husband laying on the ground.
She told officers she was in the house when she heard the accident and came out and broke the back window with a golf club, he said, adding that the front-door windows were not broken and that the door was probably locked.
She supposedly got him out and laid him on the ground, he said. He was in and out of consciousness when my guys got there.
Saylor said Woods had lacerations to his upper and lower lips, and blood in his mouth; officers treated Woods for about 10 minutes until an ambulance arrived. Woods was conscious enough to speak, he said.
He was mumbling, but didnt say anything coherent, Saylor said.
The Florida Highway Patrol said alcohol was not involved, although the accident remains under investigation and charges could be filed.
Woods was alone in his 2009 Cadillac when he pulled out of his driveway from his mansion at Isleworth, the patrol said.
Woods injuries were described as serious in the patrols report, though his spokesman, Glenn Greenspan, issued a statement that Woods was treated and released.
Woods Web site, TigerWoods.com, issued the following statement about the accident:
From Health Central Hospital and Tigers Woods office:
Tiger Woods was in a minor car accident outside his home last night.
He was admitted, treated and released today in good condition.
We appreciate very much everyones thoughts and well wishes.
Left unanswered was where Woods was going at that hour. Greenspan and agent Mark Steinberg said there would be no comment beyond the short statement of the accident posted on Woods Web site.
This has been an eventful holiday week for Woods. Earlier this week, stories in the tabloid National Enquirer and Star magazine alleged that Woods has had an ongoing romantic relationship with a New York woman named Rachel Uchitel. The Enquirer report alleged that the pair had had trysts in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Australia.
The New York Daily News reported in its Saturday editions that Uchitel denies any involvement with Woods, sending this message to the paper via her Facebook account: There is NO relationship with tiger these girls quoted in the story are not being truthful.
Uchitel also denied any relationship with Woods to The Associated Press and the New York Post.
God forbid Tiger got into a car wreck because of this false report of him having an affair, Uchitel told the Post.
Despite it being completely untrue, it still must have certainly caused some problems at home if I was his wife, I probably would have killed him.
We have never had an affair, talked on the phone or sent any type of text, sexy or not, she told the Post.
I am really upset about it because I am being portrayed as a homewrecker, when it simply isnt true.
On Friday, TMZ.com reported that multiple law enforcement sources said there was a dispute between Woods and his wife before the accident.
Later in the day, TMZ reported that Woods spoke with a non-law enforcement type and said Elin Woods confronted him about marital infidelity rumors, scratched his face during an argument and, when he got into the SUV, struck it several times with a golf club.
Woods became distracted, TMZ said, thought the SUV was stopped and turned around to see what was happening. That was when, TMZ said, the vehicle hit the fire hydrant and the tree.
Saylor said his responding officers did not hear anything about an alleged argument between Woods and his wife.
Right now we believe this is a traffic crash. We dont believe it is domestic issue, patrol spokesman Sgt. Kim Montes said.
Woods, coming off a two-week trip to China and Australia earlier this month, is host of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif., which starts Thursday. He is scheduled to have his press conference Tuesday afternoon at Sherwood Country Club. Steinberg said he did not know if Woods planned to play next week.
The Florida Highway Patrol said tapes of the 911 call wont be released until they can be reviewed, probably Monday at the earliest.
The accident report was not released until nearly 12 hours after Woods was injured. Montes said the accident did not meet the criteria of a serious crash, and the FHP put out a press release only because of inquiries from local media.
Montes said the patrol reports injuries as serious if they require more than minor medical attention. Air bags in the SUV did not deploy.
Two troopers tried to talk to Woods on Friday evening, but his wife said he was sleeping and they agreed to come back Saturday, Montes said.
She said charges could be filed if there was a clear traffic violation, although troopers still do not know what caused Woods SUV to hit the hydrant and the tree.
Damage to the front of Woods SUV was described as medium by Saylor.
Not real extensive, but not real light, he said.
Woods rarely faces such private scrutiny, even as perhaps the most famous active athlete in the world.
He usually makes news only because of what he can do with a golf club. Few other athletes have managed to keep their private lives so guarded, or have a circle of friends so airtight when it comes to life off the course.
His wife was awarded a $183,250 settlement and an apology from an Irish magazine that published a fake nude photo of her, and Woods received a $1.6 million settlement in a lawsuit against the builder of his yacht - named Privacy - for using his name and photos of the boat as promotional material.
Woods is approaching $100 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour, and Forbes magazine reported that combined with endorsements, appearance fees and golf course design, he has become the first athlete to top $1 billion.
Woods $2.4 million home is part of an exclusive subdivision near Orlando, a community set on an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course and a chain of small lakes. The neighborhood, which is fortified with high brick walls and has its own security force, is home to CEOs and other sports stars such as the NBAs Shaquille ONeal.
Woods, who has won 82 times around the world and 14 majors, attended the Stanford-Cal football game last Saturday, where he tossed the coin at the start of the game and was inducted into Stanfords sports Hall of Fame at halftime.
He won six times this year after missing eight months recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Even though he failed to win a major, Woods said he considered this a successful year because he did not know how his knee would respond.
November 28, 2009
Fred Couples is out of the Australian Open and Vijay Singh has withdrawn from the Australian PGA due to injuries, the Australasian PGA golf tour said Saturday.
Couples was a late addition to the Dec. 3-6 Australian Open at New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney after tournament drawcard Greg Norman withdrew due to slower-than-expected recovery from shoulder surgery. Couples has now had to pull out with a lower back injury.
I was immensely looking forward to coming back Down Under, Couples said in the statement. I hope to be able to do so in the very near future.
Singh was scheduled to play at the Australian PGA at the Hyatt Regency resort course at Coolum, Queensland from Dec. 10-13, but he underwent knee surgery Wednesday.
The Australasian Tour statement said that during a recent trip to Japan, Singh suffered intense pain in his knee. He flew immediately to Los Angeles to have floating cartilage removed.
The statement said that while doctors are pleased with his progress, Singh has also withdrawn from next weeks Chevron World Challenge in California and is unable to play for the remainder of the year.
American John Daly is scheduled to play in both the Australian Open and Australian PGA, as well as Australians Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott, Michael Sim, Mathew Goggin, Marc Leishman, Stuart Appleby and Greg Chalmers.
November 28, 2009
Leading scores Friday after the second round of the LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup at Miyazaki Country Club (6,508 yards, par 72) in Miyazaki Prefecture Momoko Ueda.
69-70–139 Yukari Baba
72-68–140 Sakura Yokomine
69-71–140 Shinobu Moromizato
73-69–142 Jeon Mi Jeong, S. Korea 72-70–142 Lee Ji Hee, S. Korea
72-70–142 Miho Koga
71-71–142 Mayu Hattori
75-68–143 Ai Miyazato
74-69–143 Akane Iijima
74-69–143 Chie Arimura
73-70–143 Lim Eun A, S. Korea
70-73–143 Song Bo Bae, S. Korea
73-71–144 Miki Saiki
74-71–145 Nikki Campbell, Australia 73-73–146 Ayako Uehara
72-75–147 Tamie Durdin, Australia 72-75–147 Rui Kitada
76-72–148 Hwang Ah Reum, S. Korea 72-76–148 Yuko Saito
77-72–149 Akiko Fukushima
76-74–150 Erina Hara
70-80–150 Yuri Fudo
78-77–155
November 27, 2009
Qatargas yesterday announced that the 11th Qatargas Golf Open will be held on December 4 and 5 at the Doha Golf Club.The Qatargas Golf Open is the biggest corporate event in Qatar and the second biggest tournament after the Qatar Masters . In its 11th anniversary year, the Qatargas Open will see over 180 players including ladies, at the championship course over the weekend.
A special junior tournament is organised and will be held on the Academy course.Qatargas Golf Open format is a stable-ford with a shotgun start over the two day period. Over 40 prizes are given for a variety of achievements, including closest to the pin and longest drive.Ghanim Al Kuwari, Qatargas Chief Operating Office - Administration said: Over the course of a decade since its inception, the Qatargas Open Golf Tournament has become a prominent event in the corporate sporting calendar. We are delighted with the popularity of the tournament and the interests shown by our colleagues and associates. We look forward to another enjoyable weekend of Golf. With over 400 entries, we regret we are unable to accommodate everyone who wants to play, but we try to ensure a good mix of golfers from our industry peers as well as Doha Golf Club members, he added.The Qatar Golf Association has been very supportive over the years and we are very pleased to be able to get more juniors and nationals to join us. Attracting youth to this game is one of the things we hope to achieve through the Qatargas Open Golf tournament.
November 27, 2009
Sakura Yokomine got off to a strong start in her bid to win the money title Thursday, shooting a 3-under 69 to share the first-round lead with Momoko Ueda at the season-ending Japan LPGA Tour Championship.
The popular 23-year-old, who trails Shinobu Moromizato by 5.4 million yen in second place on the money list, made four birdies through 12 holes before posting her only bogey of the day at the 14th in the limited-field major at Miyazaki Country Club.
One stroke behind the co-leaders were South Korean Lim Eun A and Erina Hara, followed a shot further back by 2008 money leader Miho Koga.
Moromizato and Chie Arimura, third on the money list, had 73s to tie for 12th. U.S. LPGA player Ai Miyazato opened with a 74.
Moromizato has won two majors this season — the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup in May and the Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup in September.
The 100 million yen 72-hole event features 23 of the top 25 players in the Japan LPGA money rankings. The winner will take home 25 million yen on Sunday.
November 26, 2009
The Japan womens tour will experience perhaps its most climactic final week ever as three red-hot players tee off today in the first round of the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup in Miyazaki, each trying to capture her first career money title.
Shinobu Moromizato, Sakura Yokomine and Chie Arimura–who each have won at least five titles this season–figure to battle down to the wire in the seasons final major.
Moromizato, who has six wins and leads the money standings with 155.4 million yen, hopes to become the first JLPGA player to win three of four Grand Slam events in one season and complete a career slam with a victory Sunday at the par-72 Miyazaki Country Club.
The 23-year-old, who took the 2007 Japan Womens Open title, has won two majors, the World Ladies Salonpas Cup and the Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup.
What gets Moromizato even more fired up is the fact that she can earn a 10-year exemption to play on the JLPGA Tour if she wins her third major of the year, a victory that pays 25 million yen to the winner.
I want to clinch the money title by winning here if I have a chance, said Moromizato after a soggy practice on Tuesday. She has played in every tour event this season and made every cut along the way.
Moromizato tees off today at 10:27 a.m. with her closest rival Yokomine, who has won five tour events this year and trails the money leader by about 5.4 million yen.
Yokomine, who won the Itoen Ladies two weeks ago to stay in contention, wants to follow in the footsteps of Miho Koga, who came from behind to win her first money title last year as Yuri Fudo turned a 3-foot birdie try into a three-putt disaster on the final day of the final event.
Although Yokomine lost some steam last week–finishing in a tie for 37th–the 23-year-old, who has a tour-best 70.429 scoring average this season, has a tough hill to climb.
She has to finish sixth or better if Moromizato finishes last–23rd place.
Fresh off a victory last week at the Daio Paper Elleair Open, Arimura is trying to become the third Kumamoto native to capture the money title in as many years. Arimura, about 17 million yen behind Moromizato, would follow Koga in 2008 and Momoko Ueda in 2007.
I would definitely like to retain the Kumamoto domination on the tour, said the 22-year-old.
I think I can play my best by staying cool in clutch situations. I have nothing to lose–just go out and play 72 holes. So Ill just try my best, she said.
Arimura can win the money title with a victory at the event should Yokomine finish in a tie for second or lower and Moromizato tie for fourth or lower.
Meanwhile, U.S. LPGA regular Ai Miyazato has to tee off today without a practice round because she played on Monday in the rain-hampered U.S. LPGA season-ending LPGA Championship.
November 26, 2009
Cheam Golf star Ross McGowan is eyeing a fast start to next season as he bids to get a US Masters appearance under his belt in just his fourth year as a professional.
The 27-year-old Banstead Downs Golf Club member finished second at the Dubai World Championships on Sunday - the money-spinning finale to the European Tours Race to Dubai championship.
McGowan pocketed ?499,000 to finish the season ranked 12th in the European rankings, earning him a ?147,000 Tour bonus and safe passage to the US Open, US PGA and British Open championships in 2010.
My goal at the start of the year was to finish in the top 15 in Europe and in the worlds top 50. By the time I got to the last round in Dubai I was most of the way there, he said.
I knew I had to finish on my own in second place to achieve one half of that, so it was a case of going out there and making my goals happen.
To make the US Masters I need to break into the worlds top 50. Im not far off that now and if I can get a quick start to next year with a few wins under my belt it could happen.
I couldnt have started qualification for the Ryder Cup any better. It is going to be pretty exciting year.
The former English Amateur Open champion secured his maiden European Tour victory last month with a three-shot triumph at the Madrid Masters.
Sundays runners-up spot behind Dubai world champion and Race to Dubai winner Lee Westwood, took his earnings for this season to ?1.5m - with nearly ?1.2m of that coming in the last three months alone.
McGowan, who lives in Epsom, made just five cuts from ten events in a three month period over the summer, but a tied-47th place finish at the Johnnie Walker Championships at Gleneagles - alongside new caddy Matt Harbour - signalled the turnaround.
And he hopes the fairytale run continues into next year.
Someone said it has been a meteoric rise to be where I am now having turned pro without a three years ago, he added.
It was a very tough summer where I questioned myself and who I was working with, a lot.
Ive always had the ability, but having the self-belief has been the problem and since the win I have felt more composed.
Changing my caddy has proved to be a great move and hopefully it is a relationship that can continue to be successful for sometime to come.
McGowans success moved him up to 70th in the world rankings and means Cheam now has two golfers stars in the top 70, with World Matchplay Champion Ross Fisher ranked 20th.
It is funny because Ross lives about a drive and a wedge shot away from my parents house in Cheam and I think his wife grew up in Northey Avenue, he said.
There are good courses around here to practise, it is a good place to relax and is also really good to get to the airport, which makes life easier.
November 26, 2009
Fred Couples turned 50 in October, and he could not have picked a better Champions Tour event to make his debut.
The King of the Skins will be playing in the Champions Skins Game in Hawaii on Jan. 16-17, joining a Hall of Fame cast that includes Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Ben Crenshaw and Nick Price.
While the original Skins Game held over Thanksgiving weekend has been canceled, the 50-and-older version lives on in paradise at Royal Kaanapali. The total purse is $770,000, and it features two-man teams playing alternate shot.
Couples turned the Skins Game into an annuity. He played 14 times and earned $4.183 million. In 585 official events on the PGA Tour, he made $21.319 million.
I could not think of a better way for me, personally, to start on the Champions Tour than to play in this format and have the chance to hang out with this group of players, said Couples, who will be paired with Nick Price.
Fuzzy Zoeller and Ben Crenshaw will try to become the first team to repeat in the Champions Skins Game, and Zoeller will be going for his third straight title; he played with Peter Jacobsen in 2007.
Nicklaus and Watson will be teammates again, and the fourth team is Gary Player and Loren Roberts.
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AWOL AT THE LPGA: Ever since the Tour Championship was introduced into golfs vernacular in 1991, the very name of the tournament suggests an elite field.
That wasnt the case last week on the LPGA Tour.
For starters, organizers decided to expand the season finale to 120 players. If not for rain that forced a 54-hole tournament, there would have been a cut to 70 players after the second round, and to the top 30 after the third round. By turning it into a full field, the LPGA Tour at least was giving some players an additional start.
However, it was difficult to ignore the number of players who didnt show up - not only players who were among the top 120, but 16 alternates. The LPGA Tour does not disclose why a player withdraws, so its unclear how many were due to injury or travel plans.
Even so, the tour had to go down to No. 156 on its money list to fill the field in Houston.
That would be Jeehae Lee, a rookie who graduated from Yale three years ago. In the 16 tournaments Lee had played going into the LPGA Tour Championship, she made only one cut - a tie for 57th in Phoenix. Lee broke 70 only once all year and had made $3,989.
She recorded her best finish in Houston - a tie for 55th - and earned $4,197.
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CAREER MONEY: As many as seven players could be taking an exemption from the career money list to keep their PGA Tour cards.
Brad Faxon (No. 37) and Corey Pavin (No. 48) already have notified the tour they will take a one-time exemption for being among the top 50 in career earnings.
The tour is waiting to hear from two players who already have used a one-time exemption from the top 25 in career money and still have the top 50 option - 50-year-old Tom Lehman (No. 21) and Chris DiMarco (No. 22).
Stuart Appleby (No. 15) expects to decide in the next few weeks whether to use his first career-money exemption or try to get by on sponsor exemptions and his conditional status.
Jesper Parnevik is No. 46 in career money and entered in the final stage of Q-school. He likely will use his exemption if he fails to make it through Q-school or is ranked low coming out of Q-school. Tim Herron (No. 42) also is in the final stage of Q-school and could lean on his exemption if he doesnt make it.
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THE TIGER CHART: Tiger Woods had not been to Australia in 11 years, giving him the occasion to set the record straight on that chart of Jack Nicklaus he had taped up in his bedroom as a kid.
People have kind of exaggerated the record list, Woods said.
He said it contained only four or five items and was more of a timeline - when Nicklaus took up golf, when he first broke 40, when he won his first junior event, his first U.S. Amateur and when he turned pro.
It was just a benchmark for me growing up that heres the greatest player of all time and this is what he did when he was 13, 17, 18, Woods said. As a junior, youre always trying to compare yourself to, When did he do it? And hopefully, I can do something a little bit better and maybe that might springboard myself into having a good career.
It has turned out OK.
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NATIONWIDE AND Q-SCHOOL: For those heading to Q-school next week: Consider what the future might hold.
Eight players who were in Q-school a year ago finished among the top 125 to keep their PGA Tour card, including PGA champion Y.E. Yang and Jason Dufner, the only two from that group who reached the Tour Championship. The average position on the money list for those eight players was 82.375, with Yang skewing the statistics at No. 10 on the strength of two victories.
Ten of the 25 players from the Nationwide Tour kept their card, with only of them - Marc Leishman - advancing to the Tour Championship based on two good weeks outside Boston and Chicago. The average position on the money list for Nationwide grads was 86.8.
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DIVOTS: Americans won only five of the 27 events on the LPGA Tour schedule this year. … The U.S. Open has been a sellout the last 23 years, although this year remains a challenge. The USGA is offering a promotion in which anyone who buys tickets before Dec. 14 will receive a gift set - a ball marker and divot tool - to wrap in time for the holidays. Tickets would not be mailed until May. … Rory McIlroy moved to No. 10 in the world with this third-place finish in Dubai. He joins Sergio Garcia as the only 20-year-old players to reach the top 10 in the world. Tiger Woods did not get there until he was 21, and then he never left. … The PGA Tour has signed an eight-year deal with Sky Sports to broadcast its tournaments live in the United Kingdom. The tour had left Sky for Irish-based Setanta until that network filed for bankruptcy protection in June.
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STAT OF THE WEEK: Europe has six players among the top 10 for the first time since the world ranking began in 1986.
