Archive for May, 2010
May 25, 2010
Graeme McDowell is among 14 players who dont have to worry about qualifying for the U.S. Open.
McDowell tied for 28th in the BMW PGA Championship in England, then had to wait some eight hours Sunday until the Byron Nelson Championship ended in Texas to make sure he stayed among the top 50 in the world ranking.
McDowell is No. 49, making him exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Open and British Open.
Sundays two winners still have to qualify for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, which will be held June 17-20. Simon Khan, who rallied to win on the European Tour, moved up to No. 7 on the money list, but only the top five are exempt. Europeans will go through 36-hole qualifying Monday at Walton Heath. Jason Day, the winner of the Byron Nelson, only moved up to No. 79 in the world ranking. He will try to qualify in two weeks.
This was the final week to earn an exemption to the U.S. Open by getting into top 50 in the world ranking, top 10 on the PGA Tour money list or top five on the European Tour money list. No one moved into those categories who was not already there.
Other exemptions went to Robert Allenby, Camilo Villegas, Charl Schwartzel, Robert Karlsson, Alvaro Quiros, Adam Scott, K.J. Choi, Edoardo Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ben Crane, Peter Hanson, Louis Oosthuizen and Thongchai Jaidee.
That means 77 players in the 156-man field are exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Open.
May 23, 2010
Jordan Spieth finally felt like a kid teeing it up against the big boys on the PGA Tour.
The golf part wasnt what troubled the 16-year-old high school junior.
His dilemma was whether to call Tom Pernice Jr., his 50-year-old playing partner, “Mr. Pernice” or “Tom.”
he continued to defy the expectations of everyone but himself, shooting a 3-under 67 Saturday to move solidly into contention going into the final round of the Byron Nelson Championship.
Spieths best round yet left him tied for seventh, six shots behind leader Jason Day, and injects all kinds of intrigue into an event that was thought to be missing an attention-grabbing headliner.
“I know the pins are going to be the toughest pins Ive ever experienced in my life, but Im confident,” said Spieth, who just last week was competing in a high school state tournament (which he won). “Im going to start firing because I got nothing to lose, nothing to hold back.”
Day shot a 3-under 67 Saturday to pull into the lead by himself. He was part of a seven-way tie after the first round, then was a stroke behind after the second round.
A win would be the first of his promising career. Considering hes 22, that would normally be a big deal; this week, it almost seems old.
Day actually is a fitting foil to Spieth-mania. Three years ago, he won a Nationwide Tour title, making him the youngest winner of a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. His best finish in a PGA event is second in 65 events.
“Certainly its playing on my mind a little bit, my first big-time chance,” said Day, an Australian who lives in Fort Worth.
Second round co-leader Blake Adams shot even-par 70 and is two strokes back. The other co-leader coming in, Cameron Beckman, shot 1-under 69 and is tied for 13th.
Spieth (pronounced SPEE-th) is certain to have a huge following Sunday.
As if his play, his poise and the fact hes from Dallas havent won over enough fans, tournament organizers came up with a promotion in his honor: Anyone 16 and under will be let in free for the final round.
The juiced-up environment can only help the kid. Hes been feeding off it all week.
“After you hit each shot, youre walking to your next shot or in between holes and everyone is cheering you on,” Spieth said. “It gives me goose bumps. Ive just got to get out there and settle myself down and try and get them excited and give them something to cheer about.”
He did Saturday, holing out a bunker shot for a birdie on No. 1. He called the ensuing roar the loudest hes ever heard.
After a par, he went through a bit of a wild stretch: bogey, birdie, birdie, bogey. Then he got back to making pars with the occasional birdie mixed in, such as sinking a 38-footer on No. 12.
“Im getting a little jumpy in between shots, Im walking really fast, and I realize that; I just cant help it,” said Spieth, who has been coming to this tournament since he was 5. “But when Im getting to the ball Im remaining calm. … Ive only made a couple [bad decisions] this whole week, which is normal for a 16-year-old like me. But, you know, I think controlling my emotions has been my strength.”
He proved that again at the end of his round.
After making a bogey on the par-3 17th, he came away muttering, “So unnecessary!” Then he put his tee shot on 18 into the rough on the first fairway.
His approach had to clear a bunch of trees to a hole surrounded by sand, with water nearby, too. Spieth hit it so perfectly that he gave his iron a twist and stifled a smile as he walked to the green.
He wound up in a bunker, but was able to get the ball within eight feet. He made the par-saving putt, gave a few fist pumps and walked off thinking about what could happen Sunday.
“I think I can make a run,” he said. “Starting the entire week, yall gave me odds like 1,000 to 1 or a million to 1, something like that. No one expected me to make the cut, and I guess I have an outside chance. If I get the right conditions out there, the wind starts to pick up and I start just dropping bombs from all over the place, it could happen.”
When the round ended, Pernice shook Spieths hand and offered some advice. Or maybe he was getting Spieths phone number to pass along to his own daughters, who are 15 and 16.
“I said, Great playing, proud of how you hung in there, have fun and good luck tomorrow,” Pernice said. “Hes a wonderful young guy and hes got a lot of exuberance, a lot of excitement in him, which is great. He thrived off the crowd, and the crowd continued to edge him on. … Its great for the tournament. Hes going to bring thousands and thousands of people out here see the event. You dont need Tiger and Phil always to have a great event.”
The first time Spieth said “Mr. Pernice,” his playing partner said to call him Tom. Only, Spieth didnt hear it.
“So I went back and forth,” Spieth said. “I dont call my friends parents by their first name … and I ended up just skipping it altogether. I was just like, Good shot. I wouldnt say anything after that, or be like, Nice putt.”
Spieths manners will be put to the test again Sunday. His playing partner: 50-year-old Corey Pavin.
Pavin also is the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, but lets not get too carried away.
Spieth already has become the sixth-youngest player to make a cut. The best finish for someone so young was Italys Matteo Manassero, tying for 13th at the 2009 British Open last year, when he was 16.
Regardless of how things turn out, Spieth has plenty of other big events to look forward to, like a sponsors exemption into the Memphis PGA Tour stop in June, and defending his title at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in July.
But, first, hes got homework to catch up on and a junior amateur event next weekend.
“It will be different,” he said, “but, you know, it will almost feel more natural.”
Surely hell call those playing partners by their first names. If anything, they might call him Mr. Spieth.
May 23, 2010
Jiyai Shin has a couple of telling nicknames in “Final-Round Queen” and “Chalkline.” At Michelle Wies expense, the top-ranked South Korean star lived up to both Saturday on another hot, humid afternoon at Hamilt and patiently capitalizing on her birdie chances, Shin knocked out Wie in the Sybase Match Play Championship quarterfinals, rallying to win 2 and 1.
“This match was so big,” Shin said. “When I saw the pairing, I was a little bit worried because shes a long hitter and Im not.”
Relaxed and smiling often in her first four matches this week, the 22-year-old Shin is chasing her first LPGA Tour title of the year after winning six times in the last two seasons. She also has 23 international victories.
In contrast, Wie has one LPGA Tour victory.
“Shes a superstar,” Shin said. “I just tried to focus on my game.”
Showing only a little emotion and fighting shaky ballstriking and putting, Wie couldnt find a way to beat Shin despite a huge distance advantage off the tee.
“I just didnt play that well coming in,” Wie said. “I didnt play as well as I wanted. I think I know exactly what I need to work on. Im going to work hard the next two weeks and t a 2-and-1 winner over fourth-seeded Yani Tseng - in the semifinals Sunday morning. In the other quarterfinals, 10th-seeded Angela Stanford beat Catriona Matthew 5 and 3, and No. 30 Amy Yang edged Haeji Kang 1-up.
Shin, at 5-foot-1 nearly a foot shorter than Wie, took the lead for the first time when Wie bogeyed the par-4 15th after hooking her drive into the tall rough. Shin then won the par-3 16th, holing a 15-foot birdie putt. Wie hit her tee shot into the deep right bunker, blasted out to 18 feet and missed her par try.
“I just didnt hit good shots,” Wie said. “Sometimes that happens.”
The match ended when Wie pulled her 10-foot birdie putt well left on 17.
Wie briefly hugged in a waiting golf cart. Bo wrapped her arm around her daughters shoulder as they sped off for the clubhouse.
In the morning third-round matches, Shin beat Beatriz Recari 4 and 3, and Wie struggled at times in a 3-and-2 victory over Karine Icher.
In the afternoon, Wie birdied the par-5 second to take a 1-up lead, and Shin squared the match with a tricky 5-foot par putt on the par-4 seventh.
Wie won the par-3 12th with a 25-foot birdie putt from the edge of the green, skipping and punching the air in celebration.
“It was just 12, so Im not worried because Ive got six holes left,” Shin said.
Shin pulled even on the par-4 13th with a 12-foot birdie putt after Wie hit a flop shot to a foot following an approach that went off the back of the green.
“I was thinking, this is my birdie chance,” Shin said.
Stanford won six of the last eight holes to beat Matthew in 15 holes, then rushed off to catch the Yankees-Mets game.
“I asked my caddie on 11 what time it was,” Stanford said.
She beat former Duke star Amanda Blumenherst in 20 holes in the third round.
Yang beat Kang with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
“I cant wait to play tomorrow,” Yang said. “I might be tired when I wake up because I played like 30-something holes.”
Yoo finished off Tseng, the Kraft Nabisco winner in April, with a halve on 17.
“I felt really comfortable out there,” Yoo said.
Divots
Wie changed outfits during the break, switching from a black ensemble with pants to a light green shirt and white skort. She also wore sunglasses in the afternoon match. … The losing quarterfinalists earned $37,500 and the third-round losers got $18,750. The winner will receive $375,000 from the $1.5 million purse.
May 19, 2010
One of the most prestigious events in golf takes place this week with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in Surrey. Be sure to handicap the tournament using the sharpest PGA Championship odds at the Bet365 Sportsbook, home of the best European Tour golf betting, where Lee Westwood is the favourite at 12.00* just ahead of Rory McIlroy (13.00*) and Ernie Els (14.50*). As well as the outstanding value of the outright PGA Championship market, Pinnacle are also offering match-ups priced to less than 103%.
European Tour Betting - PGA Championship
Five of the world’s top 10 players are in Surrey for the 39th edition of the European Tour’s flagship event, including defending champion Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Ernie Els, and Rory McIlroy.
Casey fired a final round 64 to finish at 17-under last year – one shot off the course record – but he’ll face a different configuration this time around. Many of the greens were revamped to reflect USGA standards, meaning the course should play differently this week.
Westwood’s best showing came in 2000, when he finished runner-up to Colin Montgomerie, who is in the field. For his part, McIlroy is coming off a win at the PGA Tour’s Quail Hollow Championship, and is bolstered by a fifth-place result in only his second appearance at Wentworth last year. Els, who has two wins on the PGA Tour this year, is always a wise play on the West Course at Wentworth. Big Easy has cashed the World Match Play Championship on the course a record seven times.
Other golfers worth capping include Padraig Harrington, teenage sensation Matteo Manassero, and Anders Hansen. Harrington’s best finish in Surrey was four years ago when he was sixth, while Hansen has won twice (2002, 2007) at Wentworth.
Get the best odds to win the PGA Championship at Bet365 Sportsbook, and match-ups priced to less than 103%, giving you the best chance to win more on European Tour golf betting.
May 19, 2010
Augusta Chronicle
So, any educated guesses as to who Tiger Woods will hire as his new swing coach?
ELLING: If by educated you mean “possess inside information,” then the answer is a resounding no and anybody who professes otherwise at this point is going to grow a Pinocchio nose. Yet that hasnt stopped a parade of analysts and commentators from making suggestions and floating rumors about worthy successors. Woods was spotted in Charlotte speaking with Charles Howell and his coach, Todd Anderson. Rumors began flying. He played in a practice round with Sean OHair and Hunter Mahan, who was accompanied by their coach, Sean Foley. Blogs were posted. Right now, the last thing Woods needs is to be making more swing changes. Hes physically and emotionally out of sorts, his No. 1 ranking is in jeopardy, his aura is almost completely shot and he might have a hard time finding somebody to work for him given the coaching exclusivity he seemingly requires. Honestly, does he really need a coach at this point? Woods has eschewed golf psychologists since he was a latter teen, claiming that he had learned all the tricks of the trade and didnt need any more mental-game bandages. Hes surely capable of flying as a solo act with his swing for a spell, too. In fact, he might even find that to be a welcome diversion.
MICHAUX: The most interesting name Bill Harmon. Butchs kid brother might be the perfect fit, considering he has admittedly battled addictive demons in his own life as a recovering alcoholic for 17 years. When he discussed the state of Tiger after walking around with him and his own pupil Jay Haas before the Players Championship, Bill spoke of hoping to heal Tiger the person before healing Tigers golf swing. “If I could help him with recovery … thats the greatest thing I could do. Its what I do,” Harmon told Golf.com. As for swing flaws, Harmon feels like Woo “like a gymnasts two-minute floor exercise.” Sounds like a reasonable enough assessment from a coach who values fundamentals over any rigid method. Whoever Tiger chooses will need to be able to handle life in the fishbowl. Hopefully he will have a thicker skin than Hank Haney, who always chafed under the media glare. Bill Harmon is funny and affable and just the right personality to bring Tiger back.
Adam Scott was once considered one of the best players not to have won a major. If he thought that was a tough characterization, then the golf press stopped mentioning him altogether, which is far worse. Is he still an elite player?
ELLING: To look at Adam Scott swing a club, you would never know anything was amiss. For a while, though, nobody knew on what planet his drives were going to land. A guy could win a few beer nuts in the sports bars by asking the following question: Name the three guys who played together in the first two rounds of the 2008 U.S. Open, when Nos. 1-2-3 in the world rankings were paired. The answer is Woody, Lefty and Scotty. Woods had a knee that was shot, Mickelson showed up with no driver in his bag, and Scott had recently broken a bone in his hand when a friend slammed it in a car door. Starting then, the 29-year-old Aussies trajectory has mostly been straight downward, right off a La Jolla cliff, which is why his victory in Texas last week was so meaningful. With a streaky putter and a maddening habit of missing shorties, Scott is going to find it difficult to pick off more than one win each season or so. Of course, these days, thats probably good enough to get you in the Hall of Fame. Scotts easy to root for, since his graceful swing is matched by his easy demeanor. All things considered, the guy whose swing was copied from Woods a decade ago still makes a prettier pass at the ball than Woody himself. That alone should make him a top-20 fixture.
MICHAUX: I really hope so. Golf needs Adam Scott to be good. It needs Sergio Garcia to be good. It cant afford to have that generation of talent checking out prematurely. They have star quality that is vital to the games extended health. Despite his recent which is more than can be said for Vijay Singh. Hes back up to 36th, which is about average for a world-class player. As you mentioned, Scott is one of the all-time good guys, and that nice personality might be part of his weakness when it comes to the majors. While Scott may be elite, he seems destined to remain elite in the Kenny Perry sort of way. He has proven he can close regular tour events on a fairly consistent basis, but he has never even really sniffed the hunt in a major. My guess is that unless something changes or things align just right on the rare occasion he might get in the Sunday mix, hell never pick one up. He just doesnt have the same knack that Sergio has (or had) in the big ones. When Garcia gets his life and game straight again, theres no doubt hell be a strong candidate to eventually clear that major hurdle because hes such a regular contender. Scott doesnt project that same vibe. But if he can pick at least one off before hes done, hell compare favorably to Davis Love III in the end.
A variety of media outlets have begun to probe and lament the slow-play issue over the past two weeks, of course to absolutely no avail. Pretend you are a tour traffic cop. Suggest one fix.
ELLING: Golf fans who do not attend tournaments have little grasp of how glacial play has become in real time, where the TV director doesnt just jump to another player while waiting for the leaders to go through their interminable histrionics. Can I suggest shooting mental-game gurus? At the Players Championship, Ben Crane detailed a complicated process in which he evaluates his mental performance on every shot. It made my head hurt and my wristwatch melt. A week earlier, in Charlotte, Rory Sabbatini grew so tired of playing behind slow-moving J.B. Holmes, that he physically imitated Holmes putting routine while camped impatiently in the tee box, with hundreds of fans watching his antics. When Sabbattini raised the issue of slow play at a tour-wide player meeting, another tour member said that guys stood up and left the room. Frankly, the tour and its players dont see it as a crucial issue. Television has adjusted its broadcast window to accommodate the snails. But if you press me for an answer, I would trim field sizes slightly. There are too many groups on the course in the first two rounds, and the backup on the first and 10th tees can be brutal at the turn. Of course, that change is never going to happen. But the first step toward change is recognizing that the problem needs addressing, and right now, its a minor nuisance, not a nagging issue.
MICHAUX: In the first round of the Masters this year under pristine weather conditions on a course set up for scoring, the threesome of Tiger Woods, K.J. Choi and Matt Kuchar required 5 hours, 45 minutes to finish their day. And its not like they struggled, since they were a combi they take too long to play,” was Johnny Millers always-frank assessment. They absolutely do and its ridiculous. What was more ridiculous was hearing commissioner Tim Finchem say the slow-play epidemic “is not to the point where we need to do anything,” like start assessing penalties for habitual offenders. They can fine these guys all they want, but until they start stroking them nothing is ever going to change. Golfs growth is nonexistent in part because nobody can afford to commit the amount of time necessary to play a round, since the weekend hackers emulate all the same bad habits they see these sloths showing on television. Maybe the fans need to take it upon themselves to start heckling the abusers like they did to Sergio Garcia at the 2002 U.S. Open. It prompted him to fix his habits. If fans want to follow a fast-paced hero (and Sabbatini doesnt suit their tastes), check out Angel Cabrera. The Argentine caddie yards didnt tolerate slowpokes.
May 19, 2010
A Canadian doctor whose high-profile clients have included Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez was charged Tuesday with bringing unapproved drugs into the United States and unlawfully treating pro athletes.
Dr. Anthony Galea of Toronto, who is known for using a blood-spinning technique designed to speed recovery from injuries, is accused of injecting at least one current National Football League player with Actovegin, a calfs blood derivative which is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and providing a retired player with human growth hormone after his playing days had ended.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo charges Galea with smuggling, unlawful distribution of human growth hormone, introducing an unapproved drug into interstate commerce, conspiring to lie to federal agents and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Galea, who is not authorized to work in the United States, is accused of repeatedly entering the country from 2007 to 2009 to treat professional athletes from Major League Baseball, the NFL and Professional Golfers Association, U.S. Attorney William Hochul said.
During that time, he billed three football players about $200,000, Hochul said.
“Todays complaint reveals that those responsible for the flow of illegal drugs into our country can come from all walks of life,” Hochul said.
No athletes are identified by name in the governments criminal complaint or supporting affidavit, which describes the 50-year-old Galea traveling to various U.S. cities to meet with athletes in hotel rooms and their homes.
Galea attorney Brian Greenspan called the complaint disappointing.
“It is regrettable that Dr. Galea, a world renowned and respected sports medicine physician, now faces these further charges,” Greenspan said by e-mail. The doctor already faces charges in Canada.
Greenspan declined further comment.
Galea became the focus of Canadian and U.S. authorities attention last September when his assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, was stopped at the border in Buffalo with a small quantity of human growth hormone, Actovegin, and vials of “foreign homeopathic drugs.”
Catalano, who is referred to in court documents only as a cooperating witness, initially told border agents she was on her way to the Buffalo airport to fly to Washington, D.C., to meet Galea for a medical conference.
Later, she said a professional athlete from Washington had called to request a session with Galea at a Washington-area hotel and that she was transporting the drugs because Galea had been flagged at the border, according to an affidavit.
The affidavit also refers to three unidentified NFL players as witnesses, including one who allegedly received human growth hormone from Galea following his retirement. The two other players said that while they were treated by the doctor, they carefully avoided receiving HGH or other performance-enhancing substances banned by the league.
One player, however, acknowledged receiving Actovegin injections from Galea, whom he saw weekly during football season and even more frequently when injured.
Galea also administered ultrasounds and intravenous drips on patients, as well as “injections of drug mixtures into the sites of muscle tears,” an ICE agents affidavit said.
“Dr. Galea would at times inject a cocktail containing HGH into an athlete,” the affidavit said.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said league officials had not been told the players identities but are in contact with investigators and cooperating.
“We obviously have a very strong interest in learning who these players are and about their involvement with any prohibited substances so that we can enforce our policies,” Aiello said.
The players union declined comment.
Since September, Major League Baseball players including the Mets Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran have been contacted by federal investigators about Galea. Both Mets said they did not receive HGH from him.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Chris Simms has acknowledged being treated by Galea but was not contacted by investigators, Simms told the Associated Press. In December, Simms described the plasma injections Galea gave him in 2007 while he struggled to recover after having his spleen removed.
“If they want to talk to me, feel free,” he said in Nashville on Tuesday. “Listen. Im a big fan of Dr. Galea. I think hes a great guy. Hes helped thousands of people out, not just athletes.”
“Hes truly a great doctor,” Simms said. “I guess hes made a mistake or two, and I feel bad for him.”
Simms said he has not violated any league policies.
Separately, Galea was arrested in Canada on Oct. 15 after a search warrant was executed at the Institute of Sports Medicine Health and Wellness Centre in Toronto and charged with selling Actovegin, conspiracy to import an unapproved drug, conspiracy to export a drug and smuggling goods into Canada.
If convicted of the U.S. smuggling charge, Galea could face up to 20 years in prison. The other charges carry maximum sentences of three and five years.
Woods has said Galea treated him, and the doctor has said he prescribed anti-inflammatories to Rodriguez as the Yankee slugger recovered from hip surgery last year. Both superstar athletes deny receiving performance-enhancing drugs from Galea.
May 18, 2010
The Lone Star soiree continues with the Byron Nelson and Colonial stops next up, as CBSSports.com senior writer Steve Elling takes a Texas-sized swing himself at the issues in the greatest game ov three weeks in a row Forget the older promotional slogans of the PGA Tour. The new one ought to be, “Dont go home early.” Aussie star Adam Scott reinvigorated his career and continued a semi-trend of weekend marauding on Sunday at the Texas Open, shooting 66-67 to win the title. Thats the second consecutive week in which the eventual winner has fired those closing scores to win, matching the numbers of Tim Clark at the Players Championship. The week before that, Rory McIlroy shot 66-62 to win at Quail Hollow. For numbing, red-numbers context, McIlroy and Clark either tied or established the low number in both the third and fourth rounds during their victories, while Scott was one of two players to shoot in the 60s over the final 36 holes on the new Texas Open track. And no, I have no earthly explanation as to why its happening, other than relying on the old tour slogan. You know, these guys are good.
Finally, some upbeat news It has been a rough month for LPGA fortunes, with Lorena Ochoa abruptly bailing, coupled with the mysterious death last week of Erica Blasberg, a once-promising college star who never found a solid foothold as a professional. Sunday, at least, a familiar face brought a smile to the mugs of many when Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak won a playoff over Tampas Brittany Lincicome for her first victory in three years. Everybody likes a nice comeback story, especially given the dearth of happy thoughts in the womens game of late. Pak, one of the nicest people in the game, is the most influential female player of her generation and touched off a mass migration of South Korean and Asian players to the the LPGA has played six official events in 2010, and every winner has been from Asia.
Message in the massage Tiger Woods was delivered some good news last week when his self-diagnosis of a ruptured disc proved false. His sore neck, which prompted him to quit in the middle of a round for the first time in his career during the Players, is expected to recover nicely after receiving rest, anti-inflammatories and massage treatment (insert Ambien, Vicodin and Swedish-wife jokes here. Everybody else has). But with the wolves already circling, the decision to withdraw prompted some critics to question how badly Woods wanted to finish his round at Sawgrass in the first place since he was 2 over for the day and had fallen into 50-something place. He completed the U.S. Open on a broken leg, after all. Theres one key difference, however. There wasnt much more damage Woods could inflict on his leg in 2008, while he might seriously have torn up his neck if he has played through the spasms and locked-up muscles. With three weeks to mend, lick his wounds and confront whatever other personal disaster might loom, Woods next stop is expected to be the Memorial Tournament in two weeks, where he is the defending champion. It cant get much worse. No, seriously. This time, I mean it.
When the chips are down Swedens Peter Hanson, forever confused with European Tour standouts and Anders Hansen and former Ryder Cupper Soren Hansen, picked an apt way to enter the victory circle in Spain on S although at this point, were experiencing way more than double vision when it relates to the Hanson/Hansen issue. This year, there are actually two guys named Anders Hansen, both from the Netherlands, playing in Europe. The second goes by Anders Schmidt Hansen. Somebody create a nickname for one of these dudes, for the sake of us all. You know, like Hamlet or something.
When the scorecard absolutely lies You can judge Ken Green by a variety of yardsticks. He was a nonconformist as a PGA Tour regular, occasionally agitating his bosses and popping off in the press. He was a journeyman for most of his career, a true grinder in is 40s. Now, after his biggest setback has come his largest success. Green finished 73rd in a field of 77 players in the Champions Tour event over the weekend, but for once, those numbers dont mean a thing. After losing much of his right leg, his brother, girlfriend and son in a series of astounding, black-cloud mishaps over the past year, Green completed his first Champions event as a solo act, despite pain in his leg that is so severe, it nearly makes him cry. As far as guts and glory, Dan Forsman might have hoisted the trophy, but Green won in another fashion. “Its encouraging that theres hope I can go out and play some good golf,” Green said. Encouraging? More like inspirational.
If the boot fits As pa Aussie Adam Scott was given a pair of pricy leather cowboy boots after winning his seventh PGA Tour event. More meaningful might have been the old-fashioned beer shampoo Ernie Els gave him in a celebration afterward, a welcome-back to the winners circle that was long overdue and greeted with relief by plenty of others. While Scott won the Aussie Open over the winter, he had skidded badly since being ranked No. 3 in the world in June 2008. He missed the cut 10 times in 2009, including at three majors and the Players Championship, where he is a past winner. He parted ways with swing coach Butch Harmon, bought an expensive jet and at times seemed completely at a loss to explain his form. “I questioned myself at times last year whether I was a great player or not,” Scott said. “I still feel I am.” With seven wins, the 29-year-old has four more U.S. victories than any other under-30 player. If his travails over the past 1½ years toughened him up, that could present a Texas-sized problem for his tour peers. By the way, Scottie, real cowpokes dont tuck their pants leg inside the boots, mate.
Down
No more hammering of Hank Hank Haney quit via text message. Well give you a moment to ponder the comedy and irony in that. Haney took the high road last week after stepping down as Tiger Woods teacher of the past six-plus years, but theres no question being the focal point of Woods golfing issues was a grind on the Texan swing coach. As evidence that Haney never seemed to get much vocal support, consider what Woods pos four brief sentences about their time together, during which Woods won at the highest clip of his career. Pretty weak. Also pretty typical. Woods also noted in his four-sentence website post that, “Hank Haney and I have agreed that he will no longer be my coach.” What, he needed Woods permission to quit?
Rice full of beans Usually, I have a pretty high tolerance for guys given sponso even when somebody like Michelle Wie or former NFL megastar Jerry Rice take a spot from developing players on the Nationwide Tour, because tournaments must do what they can to command some degree of attention. But when Rice, supposedly a single-digit handicapper, shoots 92 in the first round and declines to conduct interviews afterward, thats insulting and unpardonable. The media turned up at a Nationwide stop in South Carolina to see how he played. Then he blew them off. The fact that the guy knows so little about the professional game that he was disqualified because his caddie used a range-finder in the second round makes it all the more laughable. “I dont want to talk about golf right now,” Rice said after the 92. You know what? Lets make that a permanent arrangement.
Would you buy a used car from this man? Tiger Woods has an agent, a full-time personal publicist, an array of P.R. folks manning his charitable foundation and even hired Ari Fleisher for a spell. Does he listen to anybody? If so, can anybody explain why, seemingly every time he opens his mouth, another half-truth or obfuscation falls out? At the Players Championship, in an effort to deflect attention away from a subject he didnt want to address, Woods said that he and Haney “talk every day, so nothing has changed.” What hasnt changed is Woods inability to speak the truth. According to Scotland On Sunday, the two had exchanged nothing more than a couple of text messages since the Masters. So, in reality, Haney was taking the heat for Woods swing faults even though he hadnt seen him in weeks. Haney finally confirmed to the publication that being left to twist in the wind, a case we presented last week, was part of the reason for the split. At this point, if Woods said the sky was blue, a million public necks would look northward to verify it first, and rightly so.
May 18, 2010
Tiger Woods has added the British Open to his summer schedule.
Woods has a chance to become the first player in the 150-year history of the British Open to win three times at St. Andrews, where golfs oldest championship will be held July 15-18.
He added the British Open to the schedule on his website Monday.
Woods, who withdrew from the final round of The Players Championship on May 9 with a neck injury, also has the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the AT&T National at Aronimink on his schedule.
He has yet to enter the Memorial, where he is the defending champion.
May 17, 2010
Deep in the heart of Texas, Adam Scott only saw Australia. Harsh scrubland off the fairways that reminded him of Brisbane and sandbelt greens that looked like home.
“I had a feeling Aussies would do well here this week,” Scott said.
None better than him.
Rallying from four strokes back for his first PGA Tour victory in two years, Scott was 11 under in a 36-hole Sunday finale at the Texas Open, edging Frederik Jacobson by a stroke on the new Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio.
The course was designed by Scotts hero, fellow countrymen Greg Norman, who sent a congratulatory message after Scotts first win since the Australian Open in December.
Normans note meant a lot to Scott. So did this victory.
“I questioned myself at times last year whether I was a great player or not,” Scott said. “I still feel I am.”
The 29-year-old Scott finished at 14-under 274 and earned $1,098,000 for his seventh tour victory and first since the 2008 Byron Nelson Classic. He overcame two early bogeys with an eagle on the par-4 17th in his third-round 66, then built his lead with six birdies en route to a closing when Jacobson missed a 16-footer from the fringe on No. 18 that wouldve forced a playoff.
It was a long final day. More than 3 inches of rain had washed out Fridays round, setting up Sundays 36-hole marathon.
Ernie Els, Aaron Baddeley and Jimmy Walker tied for third at 12 under. Els, the FedEx Cup leader, followed a third-round 69 with a 68.
Baddeley also entered the day four back and shot 67 and 68. Walker had rounds of 70 and 69 and ended up with a career-best finish on the tour.
Tim Petrovic and tour rookie Garth M this one belonged to the Aussies.
His only blemish of the final round was on the par-5 18th, thought it nearly cost him. Scotts approach plopped in the greenside bunker, but he recovered to set up a 6-footer for par. But the putt rolled wide by a half-inch.
“A little bit of a disaster there,” Scott said.
Good thing it was just a little one.
Still, it gave give Jacobson a chance.
He started the day three strokes back but shot up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 7-under 65 in the third round. But the 35-year-old Swede couldnt keep up that pace over the final 18.
Jacobson finished with a 70 and another bogey-free round. But he struggled this time to break par, two-putting six of his first nine holes before finally sinking a 7-footer for birdie on No. 12.
Relieved, Jacobson threw his hands up in victory when the putt dropped.
But his final birdie was on the par-4 15th.
Jacobson was unable to replicate the five straight birdies he sank on hole Nos. 14 through 18 in the first round that morning.
“I certainly felt with five holes to go I could do something,” Jacobson said. “I had good feelings coming from the morning. I gave myself good looks on all five of them. Just didnt happen.”
J.B. Holmes had the 54-hole lead at 12 under but fell apart from the get-go in the final over then bogeyed four of his next seven holes.
Holmes was 4 over in the final round and finished 8 under.
Scott got his first top-10 finish this year, two weeks after he missed the cut at Quail Hollow and tied for 26th at The Players Championship.
Scotts last three PGA Tour victories have come in Texas. He won the Houston Open in 2007 and the Byron Nelson two years ago.
Divots James Driscoll , who lost to Zach Johnson in a playoff last year at La Cantera, began the day one stroke back but couldnt keep up while shooting even par in the third round. He finished at 9 under. Sergio Garcia , a player consultant on the design of TPC San Antonio, was 1 under. John Daly withdrew because of hip problems after double-bogeying two of his first four holes in the final round. Its the second straight withdraw for Daly, who did the same at the Zurich Classic in April.
May 17, 2010
It was like the old days for Se Ri Pak, coming up with a clutch shot when she needed it and carrying the day when it came down to a playoff.
Pak ended a three-year victory drought with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff with Brittany Lincicome on Sunday in the rain-shortened Bell Micro LPGA Classic.
Pak, the Hall of Famer from South Korea, used a nice bunker shot to set up the putt that sealed her 25th career win and first since she won the 2007 Owens Corning Classic.
Playing the par-4 18th for the straight time in the playoff, Pak hit a fairway bunker shot from about 170 yards to 10 feet to give herself the winning birdie chance while Lincicome saved par with a long downhill putt.
“Ive been here so many times, but I think Ive been having a hard time the last couple of years,” said Pak, 6-0 in playoffs. “Im trying to get back the way I [was]. Im trying to get myself to better momentum. I work really hard every single day, every single moment, every single tournament.
“I knew this day was going to come. All I could do is be patient and work hard.”
The tournament was cut to 54 holes after rain washed out the fourth round.
The sodden course received about 4 inches of rain overnight and it was still drizzling throughout the playoff on No. 18.
“I asked the rules official, How many times has somebody ever played the same hole before?” Lincicome said. “She was like, Please, lets not go there.”
Suzann Pettersen also made the playoff, but dropped out with a bogey on the second hole and headed to the clubhouse at the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Pak, Lincicome and Pettersen were tied at 13-under 203 when they teed off together in the morning. An hour into their round, the leaderboard had been shuffled and the threat of lightning sent the players scurrying off the course and into the clubhouse for a 5½-hour wait.
All three wore purple ribbons on their caps honoring Erica Blasberg, a six-year LPGA Tour veteran who died a week earlier at her home in suburban Las Vegas. Police have not said whether foul play was involved, and the coroner said it could take four to six weeks to determine a cause of death.
Pak, who also wore a pink wristband with Blasbergs initials sandwiching a heart, also won the Tournament of Champions on the Crossings Course in 2001 and 2002.
Lincicome made Pak earn No. 6, though. Lincicome sank a 30-foot putt after overshooting a bunker shot to force Pak to make her own shorter putt.
“I knew the sand in the bunker was really, really fluffy so thought I would kind of go down a little bit after it,” said the 24-year-old from St. Petersburg, Fla. “I tried to pick it a little bit and obviously I caught it a little bit clean. Then I hit one of the best putts Ive ever hit.
“It was nice to be in that position and not miss it and make a bogey and just kind of give it to her. It felt kind of good to at least make her make that birdie.”
Lincicome held a one-stroke lead over Pettersen going into the delay after a birdie on No. 3, though it wound up not mattering. She spent much of the down time playing cards with her niece and nephew and loading up on the Southern staple sweet tea.
Several players were threatening to catch the lead group on the leaderboard when play stopped. Lee was 1 under through four holes to tie Pak for third place two strokes back. The biggest mover was Angela Stanford, who pushed to 11 under with three birdies in four holes.
Stanford won the event in 2008; it wasnt held last year while the course was renovated.
The three playoff contenders had combined for seven pars, one bogey (Lincicome) and one birdie (Pak) on 18.
All three parred the hole on the first playoff, and Pak and Lincicome did it again the next time.
Pettersen barely got her third shot onto the green on the second playoff to set up a bogey. She has two seconds and two third-place finishes in six events this season.
Pettersen made a hasty exit and did not talk to reporters. She was projected to supplant Jiyai Shin at No. 1 in the rankings with a win.
Shin, Chella Choi and Amy Yang stuck around to cheer on their fellow Korean, clutching champagne bottles in hopes of a celebration.
“I dont know if Ive ever seen that before where we celebrated together,” Pak said. “That really makes it special.”
Shin (213) finished in a tie for 26th while three-time winner Ai Miyazato (221) was among the players at No. 49. Michelle Wie (221) was last among the 73 players who made the cut.
