Archive for June, 2010
June 29, 2010
As Bubba Watson proved he can do more than turn a golf ball into a whistling vapor trail, the world of golf also has a new Yank atop the world rankings and it isnt Phil Mickelson. For the week after a U.S. Open, it was a surprisingly wild weekend and CBSSports.com senior writer Steve Elling is here to sort out the wallops from the whiffs.
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His real name is Gerry, by the way Even after all this time, Bubba Watson is one of the biggest enigmas on the entire PGA Tour. He prefers to be called Bubba, though he is no redneck. One week, he is humble to the core, espousing religion, deferential to others who far outstrip him on the golf totem pole. Other weeks, he comes across as brash and too big for his britches, as they might say in his stomping grounds in the Florida Panhandle. He can be alternately engaged or utterly aloof. He admits he probably has a raging case of ADD, which given the rapidity of his speech at times seems fairly certain, yet he wont take any meds. He isnt particularly close to the other two standouts from the same Panhandle high school, Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum. But no matter how you want to des after years of hype, television commercials and blather, the Bagdad (Fla.) bomber has finally won for the first time on a PGA Tour-sanctioned circuit, in his 185th start. As Arnies dad used to say, swing hard, kid, just in case you hit it. Watson lives and dies by the same creedo, and boy, does it ever make for entertaining television
Take 20 minutes and read this Of all the pulp, virtual Internet ink and paparazzi flashbulbs expended in the never-ending Tiger Woods affair, the Q&A with former swing coach Hank Haney might be the most illuminating look behind the Wizard of Ahhs secretive curtain yet. After recently ending a six-year relationship that Haney characterized as “dysfunctional,” the 55-year-old coach does nearly as much indirect damage to the dented Woods aura as anything his myriad mistresses and supposed baby moms have alleged. No question, Haney freely acknowledges that Woods is perhaps the greatest sports figure of our time, but the frank description of their client-pupil relationship says everything about the world No. 1s stubbornness and aloofness. More amazing is the fact that the interview was published by a magazine, often reticent to be critical of the world No. 1 in any regard, that includes Woods as a paid client. A couple of days after he parted ways with Woods, Haney sent me an e-mail that said words couldnt express the sense of relief he was feeling. Well, the words he used in the interview did a pretty fair job of accomplishing exactly that, not to mention explaining why he feels that way to begin with.
Lorena, what hell hath you wrought? While Tiger Woods has seemingly built a foundation reinforced with rebar as the reigning mens No. 1, a position he has enjoyed for five straight years, the womens game is in what you might charitably be called a full-fledged transitional phase. American Cristie Kerr won for the second time in as many events and became the first Daughter of Uncle Sam to ascend to No. 1, supplanting Japans Ai Miyazato, who a week earlier had unseated South Koreas Jiyai Shin, who inherited the throne when Lorena Ochoa abruptly retired midseason. But given t Kerr has the last three wins on tour b this is positive news. Kerr, whose ego has always outstripped her production, can finally lay claim to being the best player in the game and has a shot at becoming the first Yank to top the LPGA money list since 1993. Thats a No. 1 spot worthy of a far greater celebration.
Just once, I wish Cinderella would win We ought to be used to disappointment after the majors of 2009, when the sentimental favorites, if not those favored on the Vegas betting line, lost across the board at all four Grand Slam events. But on an even smaller scale, is it asking too much for the games capricious gods to toss a break to somebody like Madalitso Muthiya, who has a personal story so compelling, it could make double heart-transplant recipient Erik Compton sit up and take notice? Muthiya hails from decidedly humble means in impoverished Zambia and played at University of New Mexico, after the president of his country personally asked an American business contact to help land the personable Muthiya a college scholarship. In an era when there isnt a full-blooded black player, either from Africa or America, playing fulltime on the three major U.S.-based tours for men or women, a win last weekend in the Nationwide Tours Mexico Open would have been spectacularly welcome news on multiple continents. Muthiya, who has minimal status on the Nationwide and was making his first start of the year on that tour, began the day tied for third but slipped to T9 with a sloppy final round, though he did at least lock up a spot in the next Nationwide event in Ontario beginning July 8. Maybe hell have better luck north of the border than he did south of it.
Stark-ravin Pavin As we all know, in this era of bombers and bashers, he had no business even being there, really. Newly minted 50-year-old Corey Pavin is splitting time on the PGA and Champions tours, as much because hes still scouting prospects for his Ryder Cup roster this fall. He entered the Travelers Championship last week ranked dead last in driving distance on the PGA Tour at 256 yards per drive. Yet somehow, the tenacious Pavin found himself in a three-man playoff that included ball-smashing Bubba Watson, who ranks third in driving distance with an average of 296 yards, which is only two yards out of the No. 1 slot. Watson, needing a birdie, hit a measured drive on the final hole of regulation that or roughly 150 yards farther than Pavins effort. No knock on Bubba, but it was such a David-Goliath mismatch, plenty of us were rooting for the flyweight Pavin just on principle alone. Watso wi to secure his first tour title. But the half-hour affair reinforced one of the greatest elements of the game. On a given day, at a professional tour event or amateur club tournament, Mighty Mouse can play with Superman. Or for that matter, a mostly unheralded Frenchman ranked No. 395 in the world can nearly win a U.S. Open title.
Speaking of precocious 50s The unquestioned talk of the first round at the LPGA Championship last week was veteran Juli Inkster, who briefly topped the leaderboard before losing a few shots down the stretch. Inkster, already a Hall of Famer with seven majors among her 31 tour titles, eventually finished T62. “She doesnt act like she is 50 years old,” said Stacy Lewis, half Inksters age at 25. “She acts like she is one of us.” I guess we know what she meant by that, sort of. Inkster has a daughter that was born in 1990, making her older than some LPGA players. Its one thing for Pavin, Kenny Perry, Vijay Singh or even the ageless Tom Watson to contend into their late 40s and beyond, but in the womens game, its virtually unheard of. In the history of the LPGA, founded in 1950, only two players have won after turning 46, and none since 2003.
Finally in Philly: Woods and the PGA Tour Its one of those odd geographic deals that the PGA Tour would love to solve at some point. Philadelphia, which has become one of the countrys great sports towns, doesnt have a stop on the tour. Nor does St, Louis, considered the best sports city in the land. Finally, as part of a two-year deal while host site Congressional is being tweaked in advance of the 2011 U.S. Open, the AT&T National event has been moved this week to Aronimink outside Philly, giving the City of Brotherly Love its first glimpse at Woods as a professional (insert City of Sisterly Love here). The field is nothing to crow about, though with Woods in the mix, nobody will likely care, and while the dudes life has bigger cracks than the famous bell located thereabouts, if the tournament proves popular and a title sponsor can be located, maybe a permanent event can be added if theres room in the hearts of the denizens for more than just the Phillies, Eagles and Flyers. As an aside, since hes playing in a town that once booed Santa Claus, do you suppose Woods is feeling a bit nervous? Second random thought: Is a Philadelphia Flyer something you blame on V-grooves?
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South-of-the-border order A tip of the visor to former college player of the year Jamie Lovemark, who won the Nationwide Tours Mexico Open with one of the clutch shots of the year, a 6-iron from 235 yards to within 3 feet for eagle on the first hole of a two-man playoff, securing his first win at any level in three years. Lovemark, a second-year pro who lost in a Fall Series playoff on the PGA Tour last year perhaps a little too much. “This is the second-best tour in the world and theres no substitute for playing at this level of competition,” the former USC star gushed. Well, if the tour is as deep as he claimed, its hard to envision how two lightly regarded locals, Efren Serna and Jose Rodriguez, chased him all over the back nine on Sunday before finishing in third and fourth place. Besides, based on the way the Europeans are slaying the Yanks on the world stage lately, the PGA Tour is in a dead heat for firepower with the European Tour at the moment. Sorry, but the Nationwide shouldnt be mentioned in the same sentence, much less the conversation, as the other two circuits.
Your tax dollars, not-so-hard at work This is, what, the second time that mysterious, federally funded forces have conspired to not only watch Tiger Woods back, but the top of his head? According to a detailed report from the , the FBI called the FAA during the final round of the U.S. Open and ordered an aviation company that trails airplane banners overhead to cease and desist, though it had absolutely no power to do so. The company had been contracted to fly banners reading, “Tiger: Are You My Daddy” and “Happy Fathers Day Tiger LOL,” but was waved off before the second banner was ever used. For background, Woods spent much of the week privately stewing about two lingering paternity issues involving women with whom he has been linked. As for the feds, according to the report, there is absolutely no legal grounds be it on the back of an airplane or on a bumper sticker. At the Masters in April, a plane trailing a banner about Woods was ordered grounded after a curiously timed spot FAA inspection found a minor seatbelt violation. Nobody wants to hear about how this is a safety issue, because thats complete crap. If that were really the case, why would they allow motorized hang gliders to hover a few yards overhead on the seaside holes at Torrey Pines each year?
June 29, 2010
Suzann Pettersen and Hunter Mahan made up two strokes on the last two holes and tied Juli Inkster and Boo Weekley for the lead at 10-under par after the first round of the CVS Caremark Charity Classic on Monday.
The teams shared the lead after opening 61s in the 10-team best-ball tournament involving PGA Tour, LPGA and Champions tour members at Rhode Island Country Club. The 36-hole event concludes Tuesday.
Pettersen and Mahan were 8 under with two holes remaining before the six-time LPGA Tour winner rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 17th and Mahan made a 10-footer for birdie at the 18th to forge a tie.
“Suzann made a great bird on 17 and I had an easier one on 18,” Mahan said. “The greens were exceptional. I thought they would be softer but they were in perfect shape.
“Its a great course to play on because you can make some birdies.”
Inkster and Weekley combined for six birdies in a back-nine 29. That score on the inward nine was matched by tournament co-founder Brad Faxon and Rickie Fowler, who finished in a five-way tie for third at 8 under.
“Boo got on a nice birdie run,” Inkster said of the four birdies Weekley made on the back nine. “Fortunately, we didnt birdie the same holes, which was nice.
“When you can make those 15-footers like Boo did, it helps you keep the momentum. As the round progressed, I got my pompoms out.”
The teams of Bubba Watson, who was coming off his first PGA Tour victory at the Travelers Championship, and Camilo Villegas, Angela Stafford and Brett Quigley, Ricky Barnes and J.B. Holmes, and Billy Andrade and Bill Haas, were also 8-under.
Andrade recorded the only eagle of the round when he made a 12-foot putt on the 538-yard 11th hole.
June 28, 2010
Cristie Kerr began the week at No. 5 in the womens world golf rankings, and from the moment she pushed into a tie for the first-round lead in the LPGA Championship on Thursday, she began talking about the possibility of becoming No. 1 by the end of the season at the latest.
Its all over but the shouting after Cristie Kerr makes her final putt. (Getty Images) After a stunning week at Locust Hill Country Club, apparently no wait is necessary.
With a wire-to-wire runaway and record 12-shot victory, Kerr is now projected to become the fifth player overall and the first American to reach the top of the womens game since the world rankings were instituted in 2006 when they are released Monday morning.
Kerr will move past Japans Ai Miyazato, who had taken over the No. 1 spot from South Koreas Jiyai Shin only a week earlier when she won her fourth event of the season at the Shoprite are both retired.
Miyazato provided a few anxious moments for Kerrs quest with a rousing run up the board. She started the final round tied for 24th, and was told before she began Sunday she had to finish second to stay No. 1. In the end, her 66 and 5-under total of 283 left her tied for third with Shin and properly proud of herself for at least not yielding the top spot without a tussle.
Kerr, a 32-year-old native of Miami, soared to the top when she posted a 66, her fourth round in the 60s this week, and finished with two tournament records: a 72-hole total of 19-under 269 and a 12-shot victory over runner-up Song-Hee Kim (69-281) in the most dominating performance this tournament has seen. Betsy King won the 1992 LPGA title by 11 shots at Bethesda Country Club in the Washington, D.C., suburbs at 17 under par.
“Its been such an amazing week,” she said. “To play that well on a golf course this tough and to win by that many shots in a major championship, thats just unreal.”
Kerr also made it very clear getting to No. 1 will not be enough to sate her appetite.
“You dont want to be No. 1 just for one week,” Kerr said. “Oh my god, I got there, and now Im No. 1. It doesnt work that way. You have to do what Annika [Sorenstam] has done, you have to do what Lorena [Ochoa] has done week after week to prove you are No. 1. Its great to get there. Thats Step 1 and prove it over and over every week.”
Kerr proved that at least this week, she had the right stuff to cope with a far more difficult golf course setup than in past years, when this course served as the venue for a regular stop on the LPGA Tour. Fairways were dramatically pinched in at landing zones all around and the rough was allowed to grow to U.S. Open difficulty.
Kerr became an expert on the tall grass this week, if only because she often found herself ankle deep in the gnarly spinach after wayward tee shots. She hit only 31 of 56 fairways but time after time was able to salvage pars and more than the occasional birdie from positions on the course her fellow competitors were usually unable to manage.
“Its playing tough,” she said after a third-round 69. “Im having an exceptional performance so far. The rest of the field is about where I thought everybody would be, including myself.”
Perhaps her finest recovery of the week came on the 341-yard 16th hole Friday, when another slightly askew drive left her in the deep left rough, with a tree about 10 yards in front of her and a low-hanging branch slightly impeding her backswing. With 135 yards to the flag, her 9-iron went high and somehow avoided contact with wood and leaves, landing softly on the green for a 10-foot birdie putt she dropped into the center of the hole.
“I dont know how she got it on the green, to tell you the truth,” said her caddie, Jason Gilroyed. “Its one of the greatest shots Ive ever seen her hit.”
Gilroyed has seen Kerr hit thousands of shots over the years. He was on her bag for a half-dozen of Kerrs 14 career victories, including the 2007 U.S. Womens Open, until she abruptly fired him at the end of that year. Before the start of the 2010 season, she hired him back.
“We were both very immature and butting heads,” Kerr said of the initial breakup. “We had a lot of success early in our career together and it was just kind of we got on each others nerves, I think. It was never his performance as a caddie, or me as a player playing. It was just sort of a personality thing and we split up. I probably maybe fired him a little hastily. But I have matured a lot in the last couple of years, and so has he, and it was just time for us to get back together.”
By all accounts, Kerr clearly has matured dramatically. She was not particularly well-liked among her fellow players earlier in her tour career. There is an often-repeated 2005 incident when one prominent player saw her sitting by herself in a bar and proclaimed out loud, “Theres Cristie with all her friends.”
She can be still be cranky and out of sorts at times, particularly when things are not going as well as they did this week. But her marriage in December 2006 to Erik Stevens, a New York businessman who now also serves as her agent, has clearly softened many of the hard edges for a woman who joined the tour as a teenager. Natalie Gulbis was her maid of honor that week, and several other players, including fellow South Floridian Morgan Pressel, also were in the wedding party.
Gulbis was clearly thrilled for Kerrs ascension to No. 1, and rushed onto the green after Kerr putted out at the 72nd hole to douse her with a champagne shower.
“One of Cristies goals was to be the top American player, it was very important to her,” Gilbis said. “It gives me goose bumps. Thats awesome. Its a really big deal and shes going to take it very seriously.”
Kerr has plenty of friends on tour these days, and it was Stevens who also helped her decide on the new putter she put in her bag the week before she won the State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill. on June 13. Its an Odyssey Marksman, a switch from the two-ball Callaway model shed been using, and she got instant results with a win in that event that obviously carried over to her week in the Rochester suburbs.
“My husband came out and watched me” with the new putter “and he said I havent seen you hit putts consistently the same speed, and your body and everything looks more still,” Kerr said. “It just felt more balanced than what Ive been playing with. Ive always been a good putter, when I find a putter that feels right, I can make almost anything I look at.
“I found it.”
Not to mention the No. 1 ranking in the world as well.
June 28, 2010
Bubba Watson really wanted to play well at the Travelers Championship to impress U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin.
He did.
Watson overcame a six-stroke deficit Sunday to force a playoff with Pavin and Scott Verplank, then beat Verplank with a par on the second playoff hole.
Watson, the long-hitting left-hander from the Florida Panhandle, closed with a 4-under 66 to match Verplank (64) and Pavin (66) at 14 under. Pavin dropped out on the first extra hole.
After making a 3-footer on the par-3 16th to win, Watson hugged wife Angie and began crying. He said he was so nervous, he could not feel his arms on the final putt.
“Im a very emotional guy,” he said. “I cry all the time. When I go to church on Sunday, I cry at church. I couldnt get the Yes out of I do at my wedding. The pastor said, You got to say it. You cant just nod. You cant nod.
“Everybody has issues. My family had some issues. My dad is battling cancer. My wife last year thought she had a tumor in her brain. We got lucky with that one, and now, were battling with my dad. Its emotional.”
It was largest comeback on the tour since Padraig Harrington also came from six back to win the 2007 British Open.
Verplank left his tee shot short and left of the green on the second playoff hole and missed an 8-foot par putt. Watson, who had a 48-footer for birdie, was able to steady his nerves enough to get it close.
The 50-year-old Pavin, who was taking a break from the Champions Tour to scout players for the Ryder Cup, was eliminated on the first playoff hole after hitting his tee shot just 219 yards (101 yards shorter than Watson) and putting his approach into a bunker short of the 18th green. He chipped to 3 feet, earning a standing ovation.
“The playoff was a little disappointing to me,” he said. “I kind of popped up a three-wood there and left myself in a pretty precarious spot.”
“Now, its just time to go back and play with golfers my own age,” he added.
Justin Rose, coming off his first PGA Tour win this month at the Memorial, had a three-stroke lead entering the round. But the 29-year-old Englishman shot a 75 to tie for ninth at 11 under.
“It was obviously my tournament to lose,” Rose said. “I could have shot 1-over par today and won the golf tournament. Its disappointing. It wasnt overly difficult today.”
Watson almost won on the first playoff hole, hitting a sand wedge within an inch of the cup from 128 yards out.
But Verplank made an 8-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff.
Verplank started the day in 13th place, eight strokes behind Rose, while Pavin and Watson were both six back.
Verplank eagled the 13th and 15th holes to move into contention. But a birdie try on 17 lipped the cup.
“When I holed it on 15, I looked at the leaderboard, and I wasnt that far back. I needed to birdie one of the last couple holes,” Verplank said.
The crowd began chanting “USA! USA!” after Pavin made a 32-foot birdie putt on 17 hole that broke sharply from left to right and put him into contention.
He said he wouldnt himself on the Ryder Cup team, even if he had won.
“Being captain is pretty tough, just to do that,” he said. “Arnold Palmer was the last one to do that, and that was a different era, a different time. I wouldnt have played.”
Watson had led briefly after four birdies on the back nine put him at 15 under. But he hit his tee shot on 17 into a bunker, and topped his second shot into the water on the way to a double bogey.
But he didnt quit. He hit his tee shot 396 yards off the cart path, and made a 6-foot birdie putt to get into the playoff.
“I guess you cant say I choked, because I came back and birdied the next hole and now Im the champion,” he said.
No player in the first three groups made it into the playoff.
Rose held the lead until he missed a 10-foot par putt on 10th and moved into a three-way tie with playing partner Ben Curtis and Verplank.
Rose lost the lead after a bogey on the 12th hole, then hit his tee shot on 15 into the water on his way to a double bogey.
Curtis, who bogeyed just two holes in the tournament coming into Sunday, hit his tee shot on 12 out of bounds to the left, and made a double bogey. Both he and Rose bogeyed 16. Curtis finished with a 73 to tie for 13th at 10 under.
Chris Riley began the day at 8 under, but eagled the par-4 14th from 155 yards and was 5 under on the back nine. He finished a stroke out of the playoff at 13 under.
“I bogeyed my first two holes and, I was like, Ho, hum. Here we go,” he said. “I was in something like 45th place. What makes this course so great is you can make up ground.”
Watson ended Europes tour winning streak at three. Northern Irelands Graeme McDowell won the big prize last week at the U.S. Open. The Memorial was Roses first tour win, and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood won the St. Jude Classic.
Watson earned $1.08 million and moved into eighth place in the FedEx Cup rankings.
June 25, 2010
Mostly, it was overlooked or dismissed as a pot shot, parting shot or cheap shot. All week, Tiger Woods had been as grumpy as the greens were lumpy.
Yet, the last words out of his mouth on Sunday night at the gray, overcast, 110th U.S. Open might have been the most illuminating thing he uttered all week.
Woods, who along with top-gun peers Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els had just been shaded by considerably less-heralded Europeans Graeme McDowell and Gregory Havret, offered an interesting opinion on the names at the top of the final scoreboard at Pebble Beach.
Though the previous four U.S. Opens contested at Pebble had been won by past or future Hall of Famers, including Woods himself, the world No. 1 said he wasnt surprised that a marquee player hadnt won. After all, underdogs winning have become something of an Open secret.
“Not necessarily, because of what Mike [Davis] has done with the golf course,” Woods said of the U.S. Golf Associations popular primary course set-up man. “Hes given more guys the chance to win the golf tournament. Its more open now.
“With the graduated rough, being firm and fast like this, it brings a lot more players into play who have a chance to win.”
Like me, the first half-dozen folks who heard the comments shrugged, had no idea what he meant or believed he was merely beefing about conditions again, like when he complained about the greens being “awful.”
“I happened to really like the setup,” said NBC Sports analyst Dottie Pepper, who worked the tournament. “I think it was extraordinarily fair. Maybe were not seeing Tiger being super-honest with himself.”
Thats certainly possible, if not darned likely. But if the three-time Open winner is at least partly correct, the remarks could go a long way toward explaining the recent spate of winners at the National Open.
World No. 37 or did he? (Getty Images) Beginning in 2005, with the exception of Woods victory at Torrey Pines two years ago, the toughest test in golf has been won by a series of less-heralded players, some with no pedigree whatsoever on the PGA Tour. In who, mind you, required 19 and the five other winners combined had amassed U.S. tour wins before winning the Open.
Granted, Michael Campbell, Angel Cabrera and Graeme McDowell had played only sparingly in the States before winning the championship, but their world rankings at the time of their achievement dont require any asterisks. None was higher than No. 37 heading into the tournament week, and among the winners of the past six Opens, only Woods was ranked in the top 16. Two were ranked outside the top 70.
Hardly stiffs. Hardly stalwarts.
Davis began putting his imprint on the setup in 2006, eschewing the ankle-deep rough in favor of a tiered approach that penalized wayward shots based on relative wildness. The graduated approach has been well-received, since the punishment for foul balls more appropriately fits the crime, so to speak, and tee shots that land a foot out of the fairway no longer are clinically dead.
For the first time in decades, the four-letter F-word used most often by players at the National Open has been “fair.” That said, Woods has become the first prominent player to suggest that the popular setup scheme is perhaps a little too democratic.
Since nobody followed up on Woods statements and he bolted the premises moments later, it doesnt make much sense to interpret them. At first blush, its tough to envision many ways in which the setup favors, or discriminates against, a particular players tool set. A handful of veteran writers, television analysts and coaches, in fact, were stumped to provide fast examples. At least initially.
Davis said last week that the fairways at Pebble Beach were definitely wider than during the venues two recent Opens in 1992 and 2000, when he worked as part of the USGA crew. Mix in the graduated rough, and the tee strategies doubtlessly have changed. Shorter hitters, not to mention crooked ones, had a markedly better chance to get the ball to the green.
Whereas in the past, bigger and stronger players might have been better-positioned to nuke the ball from the uniformly brutal rough, almost anybody has a shot at hitting it greenside now. Then again …
“Youd figure the graduated rough would favor a guy who hits it a little bit sideways at times, like Phil Mickelson,” swing coach Sean Foley said.
High-horsepower stars like Mickelson, Woods and Ernie Els all had a shot at the title on Sunday, but none could keep up with McDowell, who had never before won an official event in the States.
“The one thing I would say is that Ernie Els and Tiger Woods are two of the best Ive ever seen from the rough,” said Golf Channel analyst Frank Nobilo, who played at Pebble in 2000. “So maybe you could say they might lose some of their advantage.”
That might not be the only asset that has been at least somewhat neutered. Consider the two par-3 holes that drew the most comment and consternation, the 110-yard seventh and the 210-yard 17th. Skill went largely out the door on both because of the setup and conditions.
No matter a players talent level with a wedge in hand, it was nearly impossible to get the ball close to the flag at No. 7, as evidenced when world No. 9 Ian Poulter complained into an open NBC camera after his shot bounced over the green as though it had landed on plywood.
At the 17th, even players capabl were unable to hold the green. Short of hitting a shot like Jack Nicklaus in 1972, when his 1-iron slammed into the flag and stopped inches from the cup, the big boys werent able to use their strength as an attribute. The brutish ninth, 505 yards in length to a baked-out green, was similar in that regard.
“There was no reward for being able to hit a big, towering long iron,” Nobilo said, “because it seemed like nobody could hit and hold that green.”
Playing the course at a length of 7,040 yards surely opened the door for the medium-length players, too, taking away another advantage of the marquee bunch. Not that the yardage was static. Davis kept altering hole lengths by moving around tee locations and flagsticks in an attempt to make players actually think, heaven forbid. But thats a departure from old norms, too.
“The Open used to be just long, hard and brutal,” Nobilo said. “When you start to tweak, you have to be careful sometimes, or its like Wimbledon being grass today and clay tomorrow. It creates variables.
“If its just a straight-up sprint, then the fastest guy wins.”
On the plus side, the graduated rough and more moderate setup policies arguably have allowed star players to contend despite not being at the top of their games. Mickelson, for one, has two seconds and a T4 since Davis began experimenting with the setup particulars and contended last week despite missing more short birdie putts than Stillwater Cove has sea lions.
Maybe the best way to describe the Davis tweaks is that they have brought forth more inclusion, not exclusion. When Geoff Ogilvy won at Winged Foot in 2007, a parade of stars mangled the final hole, including Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie.
When Cabrera won at Oakmont in 2007, Woods, Furyk and Steve Stricker were right on his backside on the back nine. When Lucas Glover won last summer at Bethpage Black, Mickelson and former world No. 1 David Duval were a heartbeat away. Then there was last Sunday, when the aforementioned trio of players with a combined 21 majors to their credit all had chances at beating McDowell.
Maybe, for Woods, it was just frustration talking. Hes played poorly in three straight final rounds at majors.
“I think it was more of a case of the top players not getting the job done,” Pepper said. “I dont think its the setup as much as them not finishing it off over the past few years.”
Since all of this is debatable and is beginning to sound like the proverbial circular argument, if Woods is correct and the new USGA setup has opened the door for plinkers and plodders playing their butts off, is that a bad thing?
“Thats a very good question,” Nobilo said. “I guess it depends on your point of view.”
June 25, 2010
The earth moved here on Wednesday, the result of a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that originated a few hundred miles north of the Canadian border. If Juli Inkster somehow finds a way to win the LPGA Championship on Sunday here at Locust Hill Country Club, it would simply mark the second freak of nature phenomenon this week in western New York.
Juli Inkster has four birdies in five holes before fading a bit late. (AP) Inkster, the popular Hall of Fame winner of seven major titles, turned 50 years old Thursday and celebrated accordingly with a rousing run of four birdies in a stretch of five holes in the middle of her opening round of 1-under-par 71. Shes still very much in contention, even if she is five years older than the oldest female major champion, 45-year-old Fay Crocker in the now long-gone 1960 Titleholders tournament, a major at the time.
Inkster was actually leading the second womens major of the year through her first dozen holes until a couple of late bogeys while she played in a sudden summer rain squall eventually brought her back to the pack. She had a wonderful day anyway, what with all those fans serenading her with as she made her way around the course.
Anyone who knows “Jules” also knows that age has hardly dampened her competitive spirit, or her enthusiasm for the game. She keeps telling anyone who will listen that she still loves to play and believes she can still win, something that hasnt happened since the 2006 season.
But a 65 in the State Farm event last month, a pair of 69s a few weeks ago at the ShopRite event, and her best finish of the year, a tie for ninth at the HSBC tournament. Clearly she can still perform at the highest levels of her sport, and with no 50-and-over senior tour available for women, she said that as long as she feels she can compete, shell keep playing with the women, many of them young enough to be her children.
“Its just that Im playing good golf and Im 50,” said Inkster, who has two daughters, ages 20 and 16.” I wish there was an answer for it. I love what I do. Im playing 16-17 weeks. The rest I have off. I dont know why I wouldnt play. Its not like we have a senior tour. I love to play golf.”
And many of her fellow competitors are delighted to have her out on tour. She has been a mentor to more than a few of them, including 24-year-old Paula Creamer when she first started playing professionally at age 18. This week, several players chipped in and bought Inkster an iPad for her birthday. While she said shes always loved gadgets, she also admitted that Morgan Pressel had to show her how to turn it on.
“I couldnt even get it going,” Inkster admitted. “I think they all think Im loco anyway. I get along great with the younger players. I have a great relationship with them. They are kind of like my kids. Most of them are the same age. You know, its not me here, them there. We are all on the same level and playing field, and I think they have a respect for me, and I surely have a respect for them, what they go through and how hard they work.”
But she also works at it herself. Following her round Thursday, she went back to the practice range and hit balls for another 45 minutes. She said shes been fortunate not to have any serious injuries, and no current “aches and pains.” She hits the ball about as far as she always did and has worked diligently on her putting, with decent results this season.
The one change in her game since her prime winning years on tour?
“I definitely think Ive mellowed a lot,” she said. “I used to take golf home and stew. I dont do any of that any more. When I tee it up I still believe I can win. If I dont, its not the end of the world. You know, I just like to compete. I like to see how good I can be at this age.
She also is a realist.
“I know Im not going to be player of the year,” she said. “Im not going to be the No. 1 player. But you know what, Ive got a lot of good friends out here. I love to play golf. I get asked this all the time. I wish I had a better answer but I dont. I mean thats the only way I can answer it. To me its not a job.”
Inkster definitely paid close attention to Tom Watsons exploits at the British Open last summer at Turnberry, when, at age 59, he nearly won in regulation before losing in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Shes a great admirer, and said she fully understands why he keeps playing on.
“Believe me, Im nowhere near a Tom Watson, but he plays for the love of the game,” she said. “He doesnt need to play. He plays because he likes to compete. He plays because he likes to hit shots. … I just cant see a Tom Watson just hanging them up because he is 60. Its just an age. If he is still out there and still enjoying it and still loves doing it, why not?
“I think the younger players have such a great respect for him and for what he has done for the game and how he played the game and how he loves the game. I think older players, its not always about the endorsements. Its not always about the wins.”
Inkster also remained adamant Thursday that even if she were to make the team on points, or is a leading contender for a captains choice selection, she will not play in the Solheim Cup competition in the fall. Shes already been announced as an assistant captain to her friend, Rosey Jones, surely a prelude to her own captaincy in the not-too-distant future.
“Im not going to play; if I make it Im not playing,” she said emphatically Thursday. “Why? Because I just feel like Ive done it. Ive enjoyed it. I have had great memories. But I feel its time that the younger players get out there and get the experience and learn it. Im perfectly satisfied where I am. I dont need to play the Solheim Cup to validate my career. I love the Solheim Cup. Thats the best tournament, bar none, that I look forward to. But I just dont want to play.”
June 24, 2010
European Tour golf betting this week focuses on the BMW International Open where Martin Kaymer is the hometown favourite at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Munich, Germany. Kaymer has odds to win the BMW International Open of 11.20* at Bet365 Sportsbook, which actually makes him second favourite behind South Africas Ernie Els who is available at 10.06* in what is a very competitive field. As well as the outstanding value of the outright BMW International Open market, Pinnacle are also offering match-ups priced to less than 103%.
European Tour Betting - BMW International Open
Martin Kaymer, the currenty No. 11 player in the world, won in Munich two years ago, but failed to make the cut in his title defense last year. After finishing in a tie for eighth at the U.S. Open last week, Kaymer figures to bounce back after last year’s disappointment.
The inconsistent Nick Dougherty took home last year’s title in Munich, and while he’s in the field again, he probably should be faded this week, with little in his recent form to recommend him, underlined by his odds to win the BMW International Open of 72.33*.
On the other side of the coin, the upstart Gregory Havret may provide value in Munich. Havret went into the U.S Open ranked 391st in the world, but he finished one stroke behind winner Graeme McDowell in one of the most surprising performances of the year. Havret can be backed as part of the Field at 2.630* which is everyone not named in Pinnacles outright BMW International Open betting. Also attracting attention from bettors are Bernard Langer, and Alex Cejka, who finished alongside Kaymer at Pebble Beach last week.
Get the best odds to win the BMW International Open at Bet365 Sportsbook, and match-ups priced to less than 103%, giving you the best chance to win more on European Tour golf betting.
June 24, 2010
With another week at the National Open in the books, CBSSports.com senior writer Steve Elling and columnist and golf writer Scott Michaux, two guys who had boots on the ground at the Pebble Beach war zone, offer their thoughts on the carnage of Sunday, the venue itself and the 110th U.S. Open in general.
Will this U.S. Open be fondly remembered?
< because its the Open and was staged at iconic Pebble Beach, so it will be remembered for sure. But not fondly. In no way should this be interpreted as a slap at winner Graeme McDowell, a fine player whose career is still in ascent, but ask yourself this question: What was the most memorable shot at Pebble Beach, the defining moment, the place where the tournament was won or lost? Go ahead, discuss. Trouble is, there really wasnt one, because the tournament became a confluence of agony, not ecstasy. The three marquee players, with as many or more major championships to their indi failed to produce a charge, and in truth, went backward. The U.S. Open often becomes a battle of attrition, like on the 18th hole at Winged Foot in 2006, when a slew of top players bungled away the title, including Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie. But the last two hours at Pebble Beach was difficult to enjoy or digest, the sadist audience notwithstanding. The top five on the final leaderboard played the last nine holes a combined 13 over and mustered two birdies between them. Id wager that most casual fans have forgotten this tournament already. The diehards are soon to follow.
MICHAUX: It will certainly be fondly remembered in Europe. We tend to get a little Amero-centric in our analysis of all things rated, and the Americans suffered a collective nightmare Sunday from Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to Dustin Johnson. But there was some pretty fine play under trying circumstances from Europeans Graeme McDowell and Gregory Havret. They outplayed the heck out of the dead Yanks alongside of them. Youre correct that there was no one defining heroic moment like Tom Watsons chip-in on 17 or Jack Nicklaus laser-guided 1-iron on the same hole or Tigers exclamation point putt on 16. But what made this final round any different than 1992, when Tom Kite survived perhaps the most brutal final round in history? Only one guy in the top 17 broke what would be considered par now at Pebble. Did that in any way diminish the event or Kites remarkable round (he shot 72)? Is the massacre at Winged Foot remembered? The U.S. Open is supposed to be hard, and just because one of the superstars we presume will prevail succumbed to the difficulties of the moment doesnt make it any less of an achievement. I dont think well ever forget Johnsons instantaneous implosion or Woods and Els climbing around the cliffs. Whether we feel fondly about it is irrelevant. Well certainly remember it.
Is it possible that, as a championship venue, Pebble Beach is overrated?
ELLING: From a fan standpoint, absolutely yes. The logistics last week were were abysmal and fans rightly complained of three-hour waits for shuttle buses to very remote parking lots, lodging charges ($400 per night at drive-up motels), merchandise costs ($34 for a logo cap) and concessions ($4 for a soda). From a players standpoint, you could certainly make that case that Pebble is mostly about image, not playability. The course features some of the most spectacular vistas in the game, some truly jaw-dropping views, but those inherently bumpy greens are always going to cause complaints when so much is on the line. Even Phil Mickelson, who went out of his way to avoid sounding like a whiner, was politely grousing Sunday about how it was impossible to make any putt from above the hole. Using Pebble Beach as an Open venue every 10th year was always defensible because of the four previous winners, all Hall of Famers present or future. Now I am wondering if its really worth the incredible has so frequently. It achieved the impossible by making last years water-logged debacle at Bethpage seem enjoyable by comparison.
MICHAUX: Absolutely not. Pebble Beach is perhaps the greatest American Open venue. I have no real explanation as to why the players fell apart on Sunday. The conditions were little changed from the previous days when guys were posting red numbers as low as 66. Every mistake those guys made on Sunday was self-inflicted damage. Yes, the greens get bumpy late in the day. They get bumpy at Torrey Pines, too. They get bumpy at Olympic. They get bumpy at Riviera. Are these courses overrated, too? Tiger Woods was the most vocal opponent, and the guy has won more events on poa greens than any person alive. Funny how he was in such a great mood after Saturdays 66 and surly every other day. If you couldnt make any putts from above the hole, Since when is that strategy different from anywhere else? The only legitimate complaint was that the 17th green couldnt be held because it was too firm to accept the long-iron shots guys were hitting into it. The 14th green made guys look silly, but thats because they all tried to get too cute instead of hitting the recovery shot toward the bunker-mound backstop that every single one of them knows is available but they were too stubborn to settle for. Pebble is a beautiful and thrilling place to hold a major and worth all of the hassles.
Were halfway through the 2010 season. Who is the PGA Tour Player of the Year if the ballots were mailed to players tomorrow?
ELLING: In my mind, that question could nearly have been settled Sunday had Ernie Els taken care of business. Hes already won two prominent events, at Doral and Bay Hill, against stellar fields. A major championship would have given him three wins and a major while only one other player this season, Jim Furyk, has two victories, period. The crazy thing is, Tiger Woods hasnt done anything yet and the award is still within reach with two more majors and a slew of WGC and FedEx Cup events left on the table. In fact, and this will surely titillate the brass at tour headquarters, its looking increasingly likely that the POY wont be settled until the FedEx finale in September. Els left Pebble Beach without consenting to interviews Sunday, gutted by his loss. He held a share of the lead early, double-bogeyed the 10th and then missed a crucial 4-foot birdie putt coming home. Poised to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame in the spring, it would have been Els third Open title. Good news is, there are plenty of hosannas left for the taking. Be it for Els or somebody else.
MICHAUX: Im glad we dont have to vote tomorrow. Its wide open, and thats how it should be. In addition to multiple winners Els and Furyk, my short list of current contenders would include Phil Mickelson. Candidates with opportunity to climb into the picture with another victory (especially a major) are Ian Poulter, Camilo Villegas, Rory McIlroy, Ben Crane … really just about anyone is eligible and within striking distance with a few good weeks. Isnt this as it should be? Should we really be defining favorites at midseason? Would we have picked Tiger Woods at this point last year before he won three of his five events in the second half? Its called Player of the Year, not player of the first half. We should all withhold judgment. Preconceived biases only cloud the process.
June 24, 2010
Mike Weir has won $270,000 in the Telus Skins Game on Tuesday at the Bear Mountain Resort.
Weirs win came down to a 125-yard pitch-off on the final hole after the five professional golfers went skinless over nine holes.
The prize money grew to include 12 skins, nine Tuesday and three left over from Mondays nine holes.
South African Retief Goosen won $75,000 on Monday with five skins, but was skinless Tuesday.
Englishman Ian Poulter won one skin and $15,000 Monday, but failed to win a skin Tuesday.
Colombian Camilo Villegas and crowd favorite Fred Couples of the United States were skinless over the two days.
“It was tough to make birdies out there,” said Weir, noting the five golfers only made seven birdies Tuesday and 15 birdies Monday. “It was just that kind of a day. It was kind of tough to separate yourself. We had to go to extra holes.”
The golfer from Ontario credited his win to hitting the right shot at the right time.
“Thats what skins is.”
Weir narrowly missed winning a $245,000 skin on the par-4 17th, but his putt hit the edge of the hole and lipped out.
Weir said he didnt know he won the pitch-off until a tournament official said his shot was about 1 1/2 feet ahead of the next closest by Villegas.
Weir said he plans to take some time off before playing in the British Open next month at St. Andrews in Scotland.
June 23, 2010
At least the scenery was terrific, because the play in the final round certainly wasnt all that memorable. CBSSports.com senior writer Steve Elling performs an autopsy on the 110th U.S. Open, where punitive Pebble Beach, more than any particular player, was the real story.
Up
Scratching the 40-year itch
Forget for the moment that no European had won the U.S. Open title since Tony Jacklin in 1970. Thats significant, sure. But lets roll it back even farther in a positive fashion. Perhaps the bigger news isnt that Northern Irelands emerging star Graeme McDowell ended a 40-year skidmark, its that Europeans have now won three consecutive PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments, a streak so long, the tour combed through its archives and determined it has never been done before. Justin Rose started the streak by winning at Memorial and English countryman Lee Westwood won in Memphis the week before the U.S. Open. All of a sudden, there are seven likely Ryder Cup members in the top 13 spots in the world rankings, while the Yanks occupy only six of the top 20 slots in the world. Even Frances Gregory Havret, a complete unknown in the States, finished second at the Open while ranked 395 in the world. In a broader sense, international players have claimed nine of the past 16 major titl and the global game is the better for it.
Keep on Tryon
A few weeks back, somebody at said that Ty Tryon “got lucky” when he earned his tour card nine years ago, which was such an absurd assumption, it made me cringe. For those of us who were on hand as he made his way through all three tiers of Q-school to gain his PGA Tour card at age 17, including shooting a 66 on the last day of the finals to make it, thats laughable and asinine. Even though he did not distinguish himself as a tour player and has fallen off the radar, you dont get lucky over 14 rounds. The kid had game. He held the overnight lead at a tour event at age 16. Tryon, now 26, resurfaced last week when he made the cut at the U.S. Open after playing his way into the field via a sectional qualifier, and it seems as though some have not forgotten him. He has accepted an exemption into the European Tours impressively loaded French Open, where the commitment list already includes Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Geoff Ogilvy, Robert Karlsson, Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott. While he is there, he can shake hands and trade stories with Rory McIlroy, Matteo Manassero and Danny Lee, the new young guns. Go get em, kid.
One guy who didnt fold
Long before the leaders began losing blood on Sunday, there was one guy who made an ascent up the board that mirrored his season in general. Matt Kuchar, a former prodigy who has had some serious ebb and flow to his career, matched the low round of the day at the Open and shot 68, jumping all the way to T6, ensuring him a spot in next years event. While it was surprising that four players managed to shoot 68 on Sunday, it was hardly news that Kuchar finished among the top 10. Since winning last fall at Turning Stone, Kuchar has amassed seven top-10 finishes and has jumped to sixth in the standings for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. After losing his card and bouncing back to the Nationwide in 2006, Kooch has become the steadiest player on tour this spring and has jumped to a career-best 25th in the world rankings.
The dusting of Dustin
If there is any consolation for 26-year-old rising American standout Dustin Johnson, who was poised to become the only PGA Tour player under age 30 with a major championship and four victories to his credit, its that others have been down this road before. In fact, when Johnson shot a horrid 82 in the final round, he became the third 54-hole leader at the Open who failed to break 80 on Sunday in the past six years, a shocking statistic. Retief Goosen blew up at Pinehurst in 05, followed by Aaron Baddeleys blink-of-an-eye collapse at Oakmont in 2007. Just like Johnson, it was over quickly and mercilessly, with both players completely toppling in the first couple of holes. Few made note of the fact that while Johnson indeed had won the two previous AT&T National Pro-Am events at Pebble Beach, he was handed one of the titles when the final round was washed out and he didnt have to play the final 18 under pressure. The Open again proved exactly why they play 72 holes, no?
Down
They should rename it Pebble Bitch
This isnt going to be a snide attack on the playing conditions of the final round, which really werent much different than in past Opens, when the greens are in various stages of dying, comatose or outright dead. Nope, this is an attack on the 14th and 17th holes, which should have been part of Arnold Palmers redesign a few months back. Apparently, the only way to hold a ball on the 17th is to hit the flagstick, like Jack Nicklaus did in 1972. For the week, 18.6 percent of the field found the putting surface. Becau officials cant throw all sorts of water on one or tw the design of the 17th became obvious and absurd. The 14th, well, if you saw Zach Johnsons amateurish meltdown before the weekend, you already know that the tiny spot at the top surrounded by steep slopes all around. When was the last time a par-5 hole, which supposedly offers a scoring opportunity, was the third-toughest for the week? The 14th averaged 5.44 strokes to rank third in difficulty and the 17th ranked 3.49 shots to rank first. In the final round, eight percent of the field held the 17th green. Ghastly.
Where did Tiger lose it?
Giving credit where it is due, I didnt see it coming. Never figured there was any way that Tiger Woods could tie enough baling wire around his game to finish in the top five, but he did, mostly with sheer tenacity. To me, it was clear where he lost the tournament. The first seven holes at Pebble are where the scoring opportunities presented themselves all week. Woods played the first three holes on Saturday at 2 over and followed with bogeys on three of the first five holes on Sunday. Off the course, his careening personal story continued to be a massive distraction, to the point where his agent and publicist were working the press tent denying the allegations of a porn actress who claimed that Woods had fathered her child. Despite promises to change, he was back in traditional tournament mode, dropping audible F-bombs after poor shots. The good news for Woods is that the next major, St. Andrews, represents his favorite course. His next start, however, will come outside Philly in the event that directly benefits his charity, the AT&T National. You know, the one where the title sponsor asked that Woods be removed as the tournament host because of his serial philandering and image issues. It never ends, does it?
Calling Red Bull**** on this one
Alexis Thompson is the most promising young American player since Michelle Wie. Even before she was a teenager, Thompson was good enough to play with LPGA pros. After making multiple LPGA cuts and proving to her family that she was ready, Thompson turned pro at 15 and last week arrived at an LPGA event in a stock car with the logo of a major energy drink festooned on the hood. Once again, its a matter of style before substance. I dont know which is worse, her management group or her parents signing off on this idea, because you can bet the other players are grumbling about it. How about accomplishing something, then trumpeting your “brand”? How many aspiring stars have been taken apart as flops because they were foisted into the spotlight before they had done anything meaningful? When a prodigy gets crammed down your throat, the instinct is to sometimes resist, then react when the immediate results dont remotely match the hype. Need an example? Note the name at the end of the first sentence.
No applause from this quarter
The announcement last week that the USGA had selected Wisconsins Erin Hills as a future U.S. Open site was long expected, but the organization did sneak in a surprise when it awarded Pebble Beach another national championship in 2019. The reaction, and not just in the press tent, was to cringe. There is no question that Pebble Beach represents the most beautiful course in America. It was made for blimp coverage. The seaside holes are spectacular. The logistics of staging an event in that locale, however, are a disaster. The Pebble Beach Company, which was intimately involved in last weeks event, clearly dropped the ball in several areas, including supplying enough shuttle buses for fans, who reported waiting several hours to get back to their cars. The course is difficult to walk and the ninth green is about two miles from the clubhouse. Prices in the merchandise tent were an abomination, set by the Pebble Beach owners, and a simple golf cap cost $34. Apparently, sales slumped to about half the projected totals, a fate that was richly deserved. Hotels in the quaint seaside towns surrounding the course gouged guests like there was no tomorrow. And from the media standpoint, it was the worst setup ever. To interview players after they finished the 18th hole required a 25-minute roundtrip walk down a dirt cart path from the media center, which represented an impossible delay given the fact that the USGA pushed tee times into prime time on the weekend. The players arent the only ones who left Pebble Beach on Sunday night feeling like they had been pillaged.
This one hits home, and hard
It passed almost completely without comment, but the PGA Tour took another major sponsorship hit last week, this time at its signature event staged in the and theres some discussion as to whether more issues are looming. UBS last week bailed as one of three presenting sponsors of the flagship PGA Tour event. Reports estimate the cost of a TPC presenting sponsor deal at around $8 million annually, which could have landed it naming rights at nearly any other event. During the Players event in May, multiple sources noted hearing whispers that Jeld-Wen, another of the three presenting sponsors in Jacksonville, was trying to get out of its contracts, too, and was using its sponsorship of a Champions Tour event as leverage to make the withdrawal. Stay tuned.
Complaint department
When it comes to the U.S. Open, the Grand Slam of golf is griping, grumbling, groaning and grousing. At least, that was the case for one prominent player last week, Tiger Woods, who impolitely called the greens “awful” and came across as a complete whiner. Woods didnt miss a putt inside eight feet when he won at Pebble in 2000 and didnt have a three-putt all week. He managed to accomplish both multiple times in his first round, then ripped the greens and noted that nobo which was utterly wrong. In fact, the three co-leaders all played in the same wave as Woods, after lunch. For a guy seeking to fix his battered public image, he stood out as a crybaby, prompting USGA chief David Fay to counter by characterizing Woods terse assertions about the greens as dead wrong. Earlier in the week, Woods rudely shot down a reporter who politely asked about the state of his marriage, further poisoning the well in his often-antagonistic relationship with the media. Forget rehab, Woods should be taking courses in etiquette and civility.
