Archive for January, 2010
January 30, 2010
D A Points saved his best golf for the tougher course at Torrey Pines and wound up in a share of the second-round lead with Ryuji Imada in the Farmers Insurance Open on Friday.
Points avoided a shaky start with a series of good par saves, then finished strong with an eagle and a birdie over the final four holes on the South Course for a 7-under 65. Imada also played the South, which hosted the U.S. Open in 2008, and shot a 68.
Imada, has yet to make a bogey.
They were at 11-under 133, giving them a head start going into the weekend when its far easier to keep track of whos doing well.
Torrey Pines has two of the most distinct courses on the U.S. PGA Tour, with the South playing 2 1/2 shots easier than the North. Points apparently didnt get the memo.
Funny enough, Ive played this course a lot more than Ive played the other one, and I feel pretty comfortable out here, he said.
They were two strokes ahead of Matt Every, who had a 70 on the South, and Michael Sim of Australia, who had a tournament-best 62 on the North Course and finished with an eagle.
Robert Allenby who opened with a 67 on what he called the real course - the South - didnt fare quite as well on the North as he struggled on the bumpy greens. He still had a 69 and was three shots back going into the weekend.
Phil Mickelson didnt go as low as he wanted, but he also finished with a flourish for a 67 that left him only four shots behind in his first tournament of the year. Mickelson spent most of his time after the round answering questions about the old Ping wedge in his bag with square grooves, and Scott McCarron accusing him of cheating for using it.
I think hes saying the rule is a terrible rule, Mickelson said.
More important to Mickelson is having a chance on a hometown course that has befuddled him since the South Course was revamped to accommodate a U.S. Open. Mickelson is a three-time winner at Torrey Pines, but not since 2001. A victory this week would be his third in four starts, something he has never done in his career.
The final two rounds are held on the South Course, and some believe the tournament doesnt really start until Saturday.
Points, with a 36-hole lead for only the third time, relishes two more days on the South.
He not only played the U.S. Open, but the Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines twice. That brought back some sour memories, although it had nothing to do with his scores. Points said he tied for seventh at the Junior Worlds in his last year, which qualified him to compete in a junior event in Japan.
Like a stupid kid, I didnt go to Japan, he said. I went and played in the Maxfli Junior PGA because it was on ESPN, and I thought it would be cool to be on TV rather than to have the experience of going to Japan. I kind of regret that part.
Twenty players were separated by five shots going into the weekend on a course that can be punishing for short hitters who arent in the fairway, and everyone who cant judge the distance to reach the proper spots on the greens.
Mickelson struggled on the greens, missing three birdie opportunities in a span of four holes. The other was the 323-yard second hole, where he pounded a driver that barely cleared a bunker and hopped onto the green for a two-putt birdie.
I didnt have many birdie putts, but I was able to make all the tough par putts and kind of salvage the round, Mickelson said.
Allenby referred to the North Course as Mickey Mouse-ish, and while his score didnt indicate that - a 69 - he had few complaints with his position. Allenby has two victories and a runner-up finish on three tours in his last three starts, and is playing as well as anyone.
The struggle was not so much the greens, but his emotions.
He wore a pink shirt with a purpose for the second round.
One year ago today at 9 a.m., my mother drew her last breath, he said somberly.
Allenbys mother died of cancer on Jan. 29, and he spent Friday thinking about his shots, and thinking about his mother.
I was up and down like a yo-yo, he said. That was one of the worst times of my life. What Im trying to do now is make this one of the best weeks of my life.
January 22, 2010
Ian Poulter of England shot a 7-under 65 Thursday to share a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Poulter made seven birdies, including holing a 70-foot putt at the last after a poor shot from a greenside bunker.
I didnt expect to hole a 70-footer, said Poulter. I just wanted to two putt, and in fact hit it so hard that if the ball had not hit the back of the hole it would have gone 10 foot past. It was good to get a lucky break and you have to take them.
But I had not expected to play so well. When I arrived here and started practicing, I didnt feel my golf was 70 percent of where it should be. So on Tuesday I put in a hard session, which left my hands red, raw and sore, and it paid off.
Also at 65 were Richard Bland of England and Keith Horne of South Africa.
Bland also made seven birdies. He has played professionally for 10 years but was only two places inside the safety mark to retain his playing card last year.
Horne had an eagle and five birdies in his first European Tour event. He finished equal second at the Johburg Open last week to receive an invitation to play in Abu Dhabi.
Sergio Garcia of Spain and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shot 66s to follow in a group of nine.
Defending European money list winner Lee Westwood had a 69. The Englishman showed his lack of practice after taking a seven-week break since winning the Dubai World Championship.
Todd Hamilton shot a 68 in an early sign of a return to form after losing all his playing rights on the PGA Tour last year.
The American, who won the 2004 British Open Championship at Royal Troon, has taken out full membership of the European Tour where he has an exemption through to 2013.
January 22, 2010
Heavy rains have forced the postponement of the second round of the Bob Hope Classic.
The latest wave of Southern Californias major rainstorms hit the Palm Springs area Wednesday afternoon and scarcely let up Thursday morning, with water pooling on greens and fairways throughout the events four courses.
With better weather in the forecast for Friday and the weekend, tournament organizers quickly decided to scrap Thursdays play.
The Hope Classic is the PGA Tours only five-day, four-course event, giving the tournament extra time to make up Thursdays lost round.
Shane Bertsch leads after Wednesdays opening round with a 10-under 62, two strokes ahead of Jeff Quinney and Alex Prugh.
January 19, 2010
The San Diego Open found a title sponsor one week before its tournament, the fourth new sponsor the PGA Tour has attracted in the last nine months.
The tour said Monday that Farmers Insurance Group has agreed to be title sponsor for at least the 2010 event, which starts Jan. 28 at Torrey Pines, with a long-term option. Terms were not released, although there has been severe discounts in similar situations.
It will be called the Farmers Insurance Open. The tournament, which dates to 1952, had been known as the Buick Invitational since 1992 until the automaker filed for bankruptcy and ended its sponsorship last year.
“Although this has been finalized on such short notice, it represents a substantial investment on Farmers part to help in the tournaments success, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. “We look forward to continuing our discussions with Farmers officials … in regard to the possibility of a longer-term partnership.
Finding a title sponsor for San Diego was regarded as pivotal during economic uncertainty because it offered so much appeal - the first PGA Tour event on network TV, and where Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson typically begin their seasons.
Farmers Insurance, with headquarters in southern California, is a subsidiary of Swiss-based Zurich Financial Services, which is the title sponsor of the PGA Tour stop in New Orleans.
The tour, along with renewing a half-dozen title sponsor contracts, has found four new companies to sponsors its events. The other three are Seoul Broadcasting System (Kapalua), Waste Management (Phoenix) and The Greenbrier (West Virginia).
January 19, 2010
Doug Barron, the first player to be suspended for violating the PGA Tours anti-doping policy, has signed up to play a developmental tour in North Carolina.
Barron was handed a one-year suspension last fall when he tested positive for testosterone and propranolol - a beta-blocker that calms nerves - in June at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn. He said he was using the drugs for health reasons under a doctors supervision.
Barron last week paid his membership fee of $2,250 for the eGolf Professional Tour, which offers an 18-tournament schedule. A year ago, the top player on the mini-tour earned just over $140,000.
Stewart Moore, chief operating officer of eGolf Professional Tour, said it does not have a drug-testing plan and doesnt deny players the chance to compete based on another tours policies.
“Were a developmental tour. Thats what we do, develop players to eventually get there, Moore said Monday. “Its not our place to hold him back. We dont have anything implemented on our side, and we cant do anything based on what they do in Ponte Vedra.
The PGA Tours headquarters are in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
None of the smaller tours outside those recognized by the World Golf Foundation have anti-doping policies, which cost millions of dollars to run.
Barron, a 40-year-old who hasnt had his PGA Tour card in three years, is challenging his PGA Tour suspension in federal court. He was denied a temporary restraining order in November to compete in the qualifying tournament.
He has said he used the steroid and beta-blocker for “therapeutic use and did not try to hide it. The PGA Tour says doctors denied Barrons request for a therapeutic use exemption a year ago January for testosterone and the beta-blocker.
January 13, 2010
Jesper Parnevik is trying to stay out of the loop when it comes to Tiger Woods marriage so he wont say anything he might regret.
No other PGA Tour player had such a personal stake in Woods infidelity than Parnevik, who once employed Woods wife, Elin, as a nanny and was responsible for introducing them.
Woods has not been seen in public in two months, and Parnevik said Tuesday he doesnt know if they will stay together.
“Ive kind of stayed out of it, he said at the Sony Open, his first tournament of the year. “Its better that people dont approach me if I dont know anything. That way I dont say anything that I shouldnt have. Like if she told me something and I let it slip out. Its better that I dont know, so I can say, I dont know.
“I have an idea through my wife, Parnevik said. “But I dont want to be the one who says something wrong.
Asked if he thought Woods could stay married, Parnevik smiled and said, “Thats what I mean. I cant say.
Parnevik, a five-time winner on tour, expressed outrage when allegations of Woods extramarital affairs were revealed in December. He told a Swedish newspaper he had lost all respect for golfs No. 1 player as a man and a father, and regretted introducing the couple. “We thought better of him, but he is not the one we thought he was, he told the Aftonbladet.
Parnevik said he has received mail over the last month from fans that applauded him for not sugarcoating his feelings about Woods.
“That was more of a personal case, he said. “If I would have said something politically correct, I dont think I could have looked Elin in the eye.
Parnevik said he was shocked to hear of the infidelity, and had long defended Woods against the odd rumor of an affair.
“More and more, you hear guys say, We knew about it. I had no idea, he said. “Actually, I heard people sometimes say, We say Tiger, we heard that Tiger had two blondes around his arm and I would say, No way, that was Elin and her sister. Every story I said, That cant be right. Tiger would never do anything like that. It was a big shock for me.
Parnevik had to take a one-time exemption from being among the top 50 in career money to get his PGA Tour card this year. He had surgery on his right hip about six months ago and did not play a tournament until Q-school in December, when he withdrew before the six rounds were over because he wasnt ready.
Woods has taken an indefinite break from golf while he tries to salvage his family. There has been no indication from anyone when he might return to the PGA Tour.
Parnevik was asked what it would be like to pass Woods in the locker room.
“Of course, were going to have to chat, he said. “Obviously, were going to have to compete against each other.
January 11, 2010
Results from Sundays play at the Royal Trophy, a matchplay tournament between Asia and Europe at the 7, 453-yard, par-72 Amata Spring Country Club course.
Europe 8-1/2, Asia 7-1/2Singles
Charlie Wie, Asia def. Simon Dyson, Europe, one up.
Liang Wen-chong, Asia, halved with Colin Montgomerie, Europe.
Koumei Oda, Asia, def. Alexander Noren, Europe, 5-and-3.
Jeev Milkha Singh, Asia, def. Robert Karlsson, Europe, 2-and-1.
Pablo Martin, Europe, def. Prayad Marksaeng, Asia, 2-and-1.
Peter Hanson, Europe, def. Ryo Ishikawa, Asia, 5-and-4.
Soren Kjeldsen, Europe, def. Gaganjeet Bhullar, Asia, 2-and-1.
Thongchai Jaidee, Asia, halved with Henrik Stenson, Europe.
January 11, 2010
SundayAt Plantation Course at KapaluaKapalua, HawaiiPurse: $5,6 millionYardage: 7,411; Par 73Final RoundFedExCup points in parentheses.
Geoff Ogilvy (500), $1,120,000 69-66-68-67-270 -22
Rory Sabbatini (300), $645,000 70-68-70-63-271 -21
Matt Kuchar (190), $426,000 67-68-71-67-273 -19
Sean OHair (123), $300,000 68-67-71-68-274 -18
Martin Laird (123), $300,000 67-68-69-70-274 -18
Kenny Perry (92), $208,333 70-67-70-68-275 -17
Retief Goosen (92), $208,333 70-69-67-69-275 -17
Ryan Moore (92), $208,333 69-68-68-70-275 -17
Stewart Cink (80), $185,000 68-69-69-70-276 -16
Steve Stricker (68), $160,000 73-70-68-66-277 -15
Paul Casey (68), $160,000 70-69-69-69-277 -15
Pat Perez (68), $160,000 71-70-67-69-277 -15
Angel Cabrera (68), $160,000 68-68-70-71-277 -15
John Rollins (57), $130,000 68-66-72-72-278 -14
Lucas Glover (57), $130,000 66-65-71-76-278 -14
Dustin Johnson (55), $110,000 67-71-72-69-279 -13
Nick Watney (55), $110,000 67-71-70-71-279 -13
Zach Johnson (53), $95,000 72-69-71-68-280 -12
Y.E. Yang (52), $90,000 70-74-66-71-281 -11
Stephen Ames (51), $85,000 71-69-71-71-282 -10
Brian Gay (50), $83,000 72-71-70-70-283 -9
Nathan Green (49), $81,000 67-70-77-72-286 -6
Troy Matteson (48), $78,000 73-70-73-71-287 -5
Jerry Kelly (48), $78,000 69-70-74-74-287 -5
Bo Van Pelt (46), $74,000 72-70-73-73-288 -4
Michael Bradley (46), $74,000 73-72-71-72-288 -4
Heath Slocum (44), $70,500 75-71-71-73-290 -2
Mark Wilson (44), $70,500 74-71-70-75-290 -2
January 9, 2010
Tiger Woods is four majors behind the record set by Jack Nicklaus going into a year in which three majors will be held on Woods favorite courses - Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St Andrews.
If Tiger is going to pass my record, this is a big year for him in that regard, Nicklaus said on Friday.
But it starts with Woods playing, and not even Nicklaus knows when the worlds No. 1 player will return from an indefinite break while he tries to salvage his marriage from the blockbuster publicity of extramarital affairs.
Woods has never missed a Masters or a U.S. Open since 1995.
I dont know the answer what hes going to do and what hes going to play. Hes the only one who can answer that, Nicklaus, who won 18 majors in his career, said during a conference call ahead of his 70th birthday on Jan. 21. Certainly, this year with where the majors are … he basically owns all three places.
If he doesnt play this year, the chore will be a little tougher.
Woods has won 14 majors, with half of them coming at those three courses. He has won the Masters four times (the most recent in 2005), the British Open twice at St. Andrews by a combined 13 shots, and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 shots.
Oddly enough, half of Nicklaus major victories also came on those three courses.
Woods last won a major at Torrey Pines in the 2008 U.S. Open, ending his season a week later with reconstructive knee surgery. Despite winning six times last year, he had only one good chance at adding to his major total until he lost a two-shot lead in the final round of the U.S. PGA Championship and finished second to Y.E. Yang.
He has not played since winning the Australian Masters on Nov. 15. Two weeks later, Woods ran his SUV into a tree outside of his Florida Home in the middle of the night, and allegations of rampant affairs soon followed. Woods confessed to infidelity and said on Dec. 11 he would take a break from Golf to focus on becoming a better husband, father and person.
Woods has not been seen in public in nearly two months. Along with speculation on when he will return is how he will play with more scrutiny of his personal life than he has ever faced.
Without alluding to Woods, Nicklaus offered some insight into the emotional state required to win majors.
The Golden Bear won majors over 25 seasons, a record in golf. It started with the 1962 U.S. Open in a playoff over Arnold Palmer and ended with the 1986 Masters, when a 46-year-old Nicklaus shot 30 on the back nine to win his sixth Masters.
Yes, he was getting older. His skills were starting to erode. Nicklaus said desire and motivation played a role, too. Nicklaus broke the previous record for majors - Bobby Jones with 13 - at the 1973 U.S. PGA Championship, when the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur counted toward the total.
After going without a U.S. PGA Tour victory in 1979 for the first time in his career, Nicklaus said he rededicated himself as if he were just starting his career. He revamped his swing, his short game and his attitude, and won two majors the following year.
And after that?
Im not even sure why I was playing golf, Nicklaus said. I didnt have anybody pushing me. I was enjoying playing, but I was not enjoying playing in some ways. After 1980, I won Colonial in 82, Memorial in 84 and the Masters in 86. And that was it. I dont think my abilities left me, my focus and desire to really compete left me.
It was difficult to compete for a long time.
Nicklaus said winning the Masters at age 46 doesnt seem so extraordinary these days, not with Vijay Singh winning a record 22 times in his 40s, or Kenny Perry five times after turning 47, one of those at the Memorial Tournament where Nicklaus is the host.
Those are guys who didnt have great success until the mid-30s or 40s, Nicklaus said. I started winning golf tournaments when I was in my teens and professional tournaments in my 20s. Theres a certain length of time when you can focus and keep focused and maintain it. I think I maintained it for a pretty long time.
Woods has won for 14 consecutive years on the U.S. PGA Tour, three years behind Nicklaus record of 17 straight years.
Nicklaus now finds competition in golf course design, although most of his work is taking him overseas during the financial downturn. He said 90 percent of his work is in Asia, mostly in China. He thinks the economy is slowly turning in the United States, although the game always struggles when the economy struggles.
And it doesnt help when the biggest star in golf isnt playing.
Tiger always has been a big influence on the game, Nicklaus said. But the game had Bobby Jones, the game had Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Nicklaus. The game always survived that. The game will continue to go forward. Tiger is a big influence, probably the largest one we ever had. And certainly, we hope he comes back and plays.
Its not all about one person, he said. The game is a big game.
January 6, 2010
University of Minnesota golf coach Brad James resigned on Tuesday to become the high performance director of Golf Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport.
He will oversee the mens and womens national teams and also be responsible for developing his countrys young talent.
James has served as the Minnesota mens coach since 2001 and has presided over both the mens and womens teams as the universitys director of golf for the past 2 1/2 seasons.
He guided the mens team to the 2002 U.S. college championship and has four U.S. college finals appearances on his resume.
“I am so thankful for everything the University of Minnesota has done for me, James said in a statement. “Ive been here 17 years and in that time I not only received my degree but developed as a person and a coach. I owe this university everything and I could not be more grateful.
The plan is for James, who also attended Minnesota and served as an assistant golf coach before being promoted to head coach, to finish out the school year and depart for Melbourne this summer.
“Looking back it really is remarkable what Brad accomplished here and frankly he deserves the credit, Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi said in a statement. “He has a knack for developing players and helping them peak at just the right time and we all enjoyed the fruits of his labor.
The 2002 college title was the high point, with Minnesota becoming the first team from the northern United States to win the golf championship in 23 years.
