Golf International Magazine Online

March 2007 - Posts

• Tiger Woods Makes His 50th Runner Up

  Davis Love III was the first. He was in a playoff against Tiger Woods when he failed to save par from a bunker and lost the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational. Brett Wetterich was the latest. He was faced with a four-shot deficit against the world's No. 1 player in the WGC-CA Championship at Doral. He held his own, kept it interesting as long as he could, but wound up in second place and in the record books as a footnote. Wetterich became the 50th player to be runner-up to Woods on the PGA Tour. "Guess I had to become some kind of statistic," he said. At least he's in good company. The 50 victims include 21 major champions and 18 of the top 30 players in the world ranking, a list that goes from A (Stuart Appleby) to Z (Paul Azinger) when allowing for nicknames (Zinger). The milestone even caught Woods by surprise, based on the fact he said nothing for a few seconds and even then had little to offer except for, "Where do you come up with that?" Matt Gogel (Pebble Beach) is now retired. Frank Nobilo (Western Open) works for The Golf Channel. Esteban Toledo (Buick Open) is on the Nationwide Tour. The list includes four Ryder Cup captains -- Tom Kite, Hal Sutton, Tom Lehman and Azinger. "I wouldn't have guessed that," Woods said. "I would have thought some guys had been there more often than others." Woods' victory at Doral was No. 56 in his PGA Tour career, and while 13 players have been runner-up multiple times, there have been 12 tournaments where at least two players tied for second. In two tournaments, there was a four-way tie for second. That puts Brian Gay on the list. "Who?" Woods said. "When did I beat him?" That would be the 2002 Buick Open, along with Toledo, Fred Funk and Mark O'Meara, the only time on tour Woods' best buddy from Isleworth finished second to him. Considering the record Woods has compiled, it might be a badge of honor to be runner-up. Better yet is to never be on that list, something David Duval once mentioned. Duval and Woods were rivals once, trading the No. 1 ranking during the summer of '99. At The Players Championship that next year, it was mentioned to Duval that he had never been runner-up to Woods. "Nope. And I won't be," he said. That didn't last long. He might have finished second at the British Open in the summer of 2000 at St. Andrews if he could have escaped the Road Hole bunker in fewer than four attempts. His luck ran out in 2001 at the Masters, when Duval missed putts inside 12 feet on the final two holes to finish two shots behind as Woods captured his fourth straight major. Only three major champions from this decade have stayed off the list -- Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton and Geoff Ogilvy, although the latter had done it overseas. "I was runner-up to him in the Johnnie Walker," said Ogilvy, who finished three behind in Thailand seven years ago. "He's had 50 guys on this tour? That's pretty amazing. If anything, it shows how much he's won, especially for a guy in his early 30s." Ogilvy contemplated this for a few more seconds. "Who's finished second the most?" he added. "That would be interesting." That would be Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, five apiece. Els is generally known as Woods' favorite whipping boy, probably because some of his runner-up finishes were dramatic and all of them came in such a short span of time. Starting with the Disney Classic in 1999, Woods won nine of the 16 events on the PGA Tour, and Els was a runner-up in five of them. It's hard to count the U.S. Open and British Open because the Big Easy was a combined 23 shots behind. It's hard to forget Kapalua, where they matched eagles on No. 18 in regulation, birdies on No. 18 in the playoff, and Woods finally outlasted him with a 35-foot birdie putt that the locals still try to make, without much luck. "He's probably going to be bigger than Elvis when he gets into his 40s," Els said that day. Singh never had it that bad, and his Avis moments were spread out. Perhaps the most noteworthy came outside Atlanta in 2003 at the American Express Championship, when they were vying for the money title and there actually was a race for PGA Tour player of the year. Woods beat him by two shots that day. "Here's a better stat," Ogilvy said. "Who's won the most times with him in the field?" No surprise there, either -- Singh with 13 victories, followed by Mickelson at nine. Now, it doesn't always work both ways, because Woods has been a runner-up 20 times on the PGA Tour. He has been second to Singh and Mickelson three times apiece, with Lefty winning the tiebreaker. Singh beat him at the Deutsche Bank in 2004 to take away the No. 1 ranking. Mickelson ended Woods' winning streak at six at the 2000 Buick Invitational, and he became one of only three players to beat him when Woods had a share of the 54-hole lead at the Tour Championship later that year. It all started with Love hitting 8-iron into the bunker and missing a 6-foot putt for par. It was Woods' fifth tournament as a pro. "As disappointed as I am, I'm that much happy for him," Love said. "He's a great, great player, and he's great for the tour." Wetterich might have spoken for the other 49 players after his runner-up finish at Doral. "Finishing second," he said, "is not a bad thing." Posted Mar 30 2007, 04:23 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods

• Tiger Woods Claims Two Shot Victory

  They can move this World Golf Championship around country and continents, change its name and stick it in a different spot on the calendar. Tiger Woods still seems to wind up with the trophy. Woods made sure the outcome was never in doubt Sunday, making enough key putts to keep everyone at a distance and playing it safe at the end for a 1-over 73 to capture the CA Championship by two shots over Brett Wetterich in his final tournament before the Masters. "Very pleased," Woods said about his game heading into the first major. He is believed to be the first player to win a PGA Tour event six times on six courses. Woods also won this tournament, previously known as the American Express Championship, in Spain, Ireland, Atlanta, San Francisco and London. And it was his third straight victory at Doral. "He's good on Bermuda, good in wind, good in no wind, he's good on bent grass. He's just a good player," U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy said. "What do you say?" Woods never let anyone closer to him than four shots for most of the warm, blustery afternoon on the Blue Monster until Wetterich made birdie on the 16th to get within three. Equipped with that margin, Woods played iron off the tee on the tough 18th, laid up, and hit a wedge 50 feet beyond the flag. He lapped to tap-in range for bogey. Wetterich had an 8-foot birdie putt to make it interesting, but left it short and settled for a 71. Woods finished at 10-under 278 to continue his dominance in these World Golf Championships. It was his 13th title in 24 tries, and he is 11-of-16 when the tournaments are stroke play. "It's tough," Wetterich said. "You know he's not going to go out and make mistakes. No one really put any pressure on him today. It was kind of easy on him except for those last few holes." It was only the sixth time Woods has won a tournament with his final round over par. All that mattered was another title, his second this year and 56th of his career. He earned $1.35 million. Robert Allenby ran off six birdies in his first 14 holes and his 5-under 67 was the best score of the final round, the only drama was to see would finish second. Allenby wound up in a tie for third at 6-under 282 with Ogilvy (70) and Sergio Garcia (70), the only player to break par all for days at Doral. Garcia bristled when asked if he was embarrassed by spitting into the cup after missing a putt on Saturday. "I apologized already," he said. "Are you embarrassed that I didn't spit today, that you didn't have anything better to ask me? Next." Woods' victory comes one week after he took two double bogeys and a triple bogey on his back nine at Bay Hill, and some players wondered whether those scars would be fresh. Apparently not. Woods wasn't at his best on a tough day for scoring, taking 33 putts. But he made the ones that kept momentum on his side. He now has won 31 straight times on the PGA Tour when leading going into the final round, a record pieced together over more than 10 years. The margin was four shots Sunday, and Woods immediately stretched it with an 18-foot birdie on the opening hole. But he shoved a 5-foot par putt on the third, then rapped a 50-foot birdie attempt on the next hole some 10 feet past the cup. Wetterich made his 35-footer for birdie, but Woods poured in his par putt. After another bogey on the sixth, Woods' approach on No. 7 caught the face of the bunker. He blasted out to 5 feet and again saved par to keep rolling toward victory. Consecutive birdies on the par-3 ninth and par-5 10th gave him his largest lead of the round at six, and by then it was matter of finishing the tournament. "I didn't see anyone catching Tiger," Allenby said. "When he's in front, he's a hard man to beat." The CA Championship is the fifth tournament that Woods has won at least three times in a row, and he has won more times at this tournament than any other in golf. Woods has won 27.5 percent of his tournaments, an astounding rate that even got the savvy Ogilvy doing some quick math. "He only wins 30 percent of the time he tees it up," Ogilvy said. "I probably only play 13 or 14 tournaments that he plays in a year. I've got seven or eight chances he's not going to win. It's kind of inspiring." Or maybe Woods was inspired by his new buddy, tennis champion Roger Federer, who came out to watch his practice round Wednesday. Woods returned the favor Saturday night, watching Federer sail through his opening match at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne. Having them both in the same town is sure to raise questions about which is more dominant, but Woods cares only about his sport. Posted Mar 26 2007, 04:20 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods

• Tiger Woods Double Defending Champion

  Not even Tiger Woods was sure how he would introduce himself on the first tee at Doral, only that the words "defending champion" would be appropriate in some capacity. But defending champion of what? Or is it where? Woods has won the last two years on the Blue Monster, beating Phil Mickelson in a terrific duel in 2005 then holding off David Toms to win by one shot the following season. Both those victories came at regular PGA Tour events featuring a 144-man field. Now this is called the CA Championship, and it's a World Golf Championship with a 73-man field. It used to be known as the American Express Championship, and Woods has won that tournament the last two years, too. He beat John Daly in a playoff at Harding Park in 2005, then blew away his alleged competition at The Grove outside London last fall to win by eight. "Multiple defending champion?" Woods asked as he walked out the door. "Have I ever done that? I don't know. Go look it up." No matter how anyone looks at it, he figures to be a strong favorite. The debate is whether his advantage stems from being at Doral or being at a World Golf Championship. Woods practically owns the WGC events, especially this format that invites the top 50 in the world ranking and leading money winners from the six major tours around the world. The CA Championship, name change notwithstanding, is one of three tournaments he has won five times. The others are the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines and the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. What makes this one more unique is he has won on five courses in four countries -- Valderrama in Spain (1999), Mount Juliet in Ireland (2002), Capital City Club in Atlanta (2003), Harding Park and The Grove. Why so much success? "I don't know. He just plays well at them, I guess," Sergio Garcia said. "You ask him and let me know." It helps to have fewer players to beat. Only 73 players have qualified this week, and some of them -- Pram Meesawat of Thailand and Anton Haig of South Africa -- are making their U.S. debut in professional golf. But if that were the case, it would be easier on everybody. "Usually, that's how many are here once they make a cut," Toms said. No doubt, the tournament is different this year. Doral usually leads off the Florida Swing, and this year it's in the clean-up spot. Instead of players just starting to think about the Masters, the first major is right around the corner. Toms noticed something else during his practice round on the Blue Monster -- quiet. There was no pro-am, so players were able to play practice whenever they wanted. And all 73 are guaranteed a paycheck this week because the WGCs have no cut. "Even though it's a very important event and very big event, it seems like guys approach it a little more low-key," Toms said. "I don't know if it's because there's no cut or they have got that guaranteed check or whatever it might be. It has a nice atmosphere to it." Woods had his own atmosphere Wednesday morning. The size of his gallery was only about 300 people, and their attention was divided inside and outside the ropes. They had their choice between the No. 1 golfer in the world playing a practice round, and the No. 1 tennis player in the world watching him. Roger Federer walked the back nine with Woods, both IMG clients who struck up a friendship last summer and had dinner Tuesday night on Woods' yacht. Woods said he will be in Key Biscayne on Saturday night when Federer plays his first match in the Sony Ericsson Open. "It was great to have him out here," Woods said. "I think he's a wonderful supporter of golf, and I think it's pretty neat when you have probably the most dominant athlete on the planet out there in your gallery." Federer even got a chance to see Woods hit a tee shot into the water. He missed the ending of Bay Hill last week, which has been somewhat of a hangover for Woods. Trying to catch the leaders, he took two double bogeys and a triple bogey on the back nine on his way to a 43 for a final round 76. It was particularly ugly at the end -- Woods took bogey on the 16th, hit his tee shot into the water on the 17th for a double bogey, then hit his approach into the lake next to the 18th green for a triple bogey. "But the other 69 holes, I made some mistakes along the way that I need to rectify," Woods said. "You can't look at it just one hole, one shot. Because I made too many mistakes throughout the entire tournament that going into Sunday, I probably should have been right next to the lead, if not leading." Woods said some of those errors were club selection on some of the holes, what he hit off the tee, his approach shots. "I kept making silly mistakes -- mistakes I don't normally make," he said. That would be the second straight tournament that he erred on the mental side, coming off a third-round loss in the Accenture Match Play Championship when he said he failed to detect a ball mark in the line of a 4-foot putt against Nick O'Hern. Those are issues he will want to sort out with the Masters only two weeks away. Given his history at Doral -- and this tournament -- it might not be a bad time for him to fix it. Posted Mar 23 2007, 04:15 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods

• Mickelson And Tiger Agree

  Rivals on the golf course, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson sounded like allies promoting the concept of Woods' new tournament in Washington being treated like an invitational. The field size for the new AT&T National has caused a great divide on the PGA Tour, the lines drawn between prestige and opportunity. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem suggested that the tournament likely would be considered an invitational, similar to events hosted by Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, which have reduced fields. Some players have argued that the tour should not make the event exclusive, which would take away spots in a season already made shorter by the FedEx Cup. "We're trying to put on the best possible field and the best tournament we possibly can, and I think ultimately that's what we've decided on," Woods said Wednesday, his first comments since the flap became public last week in Tampa, Fla. "Field size is still up in the air. It's not finalized yet. But we are certainly looking at a reduced field." Woods said Finchem had already talked informally with players on the policy board. Left in the dark were members of the 16-man Players Advisory Council, such as Rich Beem, who said in an interview last week that the idea of a smaller field was "insulting." "I think it's great that Tiger is involved and we're going to Washington. We need that," Beem said. "But we're trying to get back more spots throughout the year, and all of a sudden we have a limited-field tournament? It's the most totally wrong thing I've heard of in a long time that's sticking it the players." The PAC scheduled a conference call for March 28 to discuss the field size. Mickelson said he has tried to stay out of "tour politics" the past few years, but quickly rose to Woods' defense. He said it was important for the tour to be in the nation's capital, and important for the tour to have a strong relationship with Woods. "And that tournament does both," he said. Mickelson has long argued against opposite-field events held the same week as World Golf Championships, saying the tour has to subsidize purses to give lower-ranked players a chance to earn money. The tour already has three conflicting events, and plans another one next year in Puerto Rico. "All of the conflicting events cannot support themselves financially, and all of the excess revenue from the tour goes to support those tournaments, and most of that money is driven by Tiger," Mickelson said. "So if you're looking at 450 spots that Tiger is creating, and if he wants to take 20 away because he wants to have a prestigious event, I think we should not, as players, be narrow-minded." Woods is responsible for the massive increases in prize money on tour because of his popularity, which has led to stout TV contracts. Total prize money was $80 million his first full year as a pro, and now is about $265 million. "If we look at the big picture, he does a heck of a lot more in this tournament ... and it does an incredible amount for the tour and the game of golf," Mickelson said. "I think we need to be careful on that." Stirring the debate is that the AT&T National replaces the International, which had a 144-man field. While Woods and Finchem favor a reduced field in Washington, they have not proposed a number. The tour has studied making all invitationals the same size, although it could face a struggle getting Nicklaus to go along at the Memorial. His field has a minimum of 105. "It's always a concern," former U.S. Amateur champion Jeff Quinney said. "If I was a rookie and had limited starts and I hadn't made too many cuts, you want to have as many starts as you can. Luckily, I probably won't have to worry. I don't think it's significant -- maybe 20, 30 spots. It wasn't like a huge cut like Doral is next week." Doral for years had a 144-man field until it was folded into a WGC event and likely will have a field of just under 100. "Obviously, there's 50 percent of the tour that thinks it's a great idea; 50 percent don't," Rod Pampling said. Woods' foundation runs the tournament and will get the charity money, which he will use to build a Tiger Woods Learning Center in the Washington area. Still to be determined is a golf course -- all signs point to Congressional the first two years. Woods favors a shorter field. "Play moves along a lot faster," he said. "You get around in a much more rhythmical pace. I think that's important." Woods has played Bay Hill every year and missed Memorial for the first time last year after his father died, and he has liked the way Palmer and Nicklaus run those tournaments. Both are invitationals, meaning the field is smaller. Palmer said the benefit of a smaller field is "it attracts interest." "If you're able to do a good tournament -- and we like to think that we do a good tournament -- it creates an interest among the players who want to come and win this golf tournament," he said. "If we had a number that was perfect, that would be ... 120." Posted Mar 16 2007, 04:13 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson

• Tiger Woods to host new AT&T National

  The PGA Tour has replaced the International with the AT&T National, a $6 million event to be played in the nation's capital right after the Fourth of July. Of course, the presence of Tiger Woods will certainly help. The tour announced Wednesday a new event on the schedule that debuts in July, will have the telecommunications giant as its title sponsor and benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation. The host course has yet to be announced. The inaugural event begins July 5 and replaces the International, which was pulled off the calendar earlier this year because it could not find a title sponsor - partially because Woods, the most popular golfer in the world, annually skipped the event. It is a significant achievement for Woods, who has expressed his desire to host a PGA Tour event in the past. "We hope to make the AT&T National a great tradition in this community and look forward to a wonderful partnership with AT&T and the PGA Tour," Woods said in a statement. "I'm thrilled the AT&T National is helping facilitate my foundation's East Coast expansion. We plan to make a lasting impact in this community - both on and off the course." AT&T already is the title sponsor of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and AT&T Classic in Atlanta. It also is the title sponsor of the Champions Tour's AT&T Championship and the AT&T Champions Classic. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said AT&T has helped generate more than $100 million for local charities through its existing golf sponsorships. "We believe the AT&T National will have a tremendous impact as the newest event on the PGA Tour," Finchem said. The event also will recognize and honor the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services. Woods' late father, Earl, was an infantry officer and retired as a lieutenant colonel. "It's appropriate that during the week Americans celebrate their freedom, the AT&T National will benefit young people and will pay tribute to the men and women serving in our Armed Forces," AT&T chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre said. Woods annually plays a limited schedule that includes the major events, World Golf Championships and tournaments backed by his primary sponsors such as Buick and American Express. The world's top-ranked player, Woods also hosts the Target World Challenge, an unofficial event following the end of the PGA Tour season that attracts a star-studded exclusive 16-player field. It is uncertain whether Woods will play in the AT&T National, however. His wife, Elin, is pregnant with their first child and is due to deliver this summer. This decade, Woods has played more than 19 tour events just once, entering 21 in 2005. He played a career-low 15 last season, when he took extended time off following the death of his father. The Washington area had been a regular tour stop until last year, when title sponsor Booz Allen pulled out. Woods never had entered the event. On February 8, tournament founder Jack Vickers announced The International would see its 21-year run as a tour stop come to an end. Posted Mar 09 2007, 04:11 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, AT&T National

• PGA National Will Be a Stern Test

  Upon hearing that some Honda Classic players believe the winning score could be around even par, Jack Nicklaus was thrilled. "It'll be a challenge," Nicklaus said. That's exactly what he envisioned. He redesigned the Honda's new home course -- PGA National -- in 1990, then tweaked it again to get the track ready for its first tour event since the 1987 PGA Championship. The result is a 7,048-yard, par-70 test, dotted by water and bunkers, tight fairways and rough that seems unusually thick for a non-major. In some ways, it's even more demanding than the course's old home at Mirasol, the facility across the street from PGA National that features giant sloping greens that were often criticized by players. "At Mirasol, the challenge was around the greens. Here, the challenge is off the tee," defending champion Luke Donald said. "You have to drive it very well. The fairways are more narrow than Mirasol, but the greens are much flatter and I'm sure they will get firmer as the week goes on." Jim Furyk, the world's No. 2 player behind Tiger Woods, headlines the field; he and Donald (No. 10) are the only top-10 players at PGA National, although other notables chasing the $990,000 winner's check in the first event on the four-stop Florida Swing include 2005 winner Padraig Harrington, Davis Love III, David Toms, Chrysler Classic winner Charley Hoffman and Chris DiMarco. Only a handful of players in this week's field have any real familiarity with PGA National, other than perhaps seeing some of the course's greatest moments in highlight reels, like Seve Ballesteros getting a halve of his 1983 Ryder Cup match with Fuzzy Zoeller by hitting a 240-yard 3-wood from a bunker on the final hole and getting up-and-down to save par, or Lanny Wadkins' 60-yard pitching wedge to a foot on the same hole for another halve against Jose Maria Canizares that helped the United States prevail 14 1/2 -13 1/2 . To think those shots came when the 18th hole was easier. It's now a double-dogleg par-5 that measures 604 yards from the back tees, a finishing hole that provides little relief after the three-hole stretch known in a nod to Nicklaus as "The Bear Trap" -- the par-3 15th to a diagonal green, the par-4 16th with an elevated green protected by water, and then the par-3 17th that's over water and has a relatively small putting surface. "The course is tough," said Furyk, who acknowledged he's had some trouble this week reaching the longer holes in regulation -- and not all of those were from the farthest tees, either. "It's a good, solid layout. And then there's the wind. It's a staple of South Florida weather, and when it changes direction, fortunes of players typically follow suit. Arnold Palmer shot 63 here in picture-perfect weather during the second round of the 1984 Senior PGA; with wind whipping the course the next day, Palmer only managed a 79, but went on to win anyway. When Donald played the par-4 10th -- a mere 525 yards from the back tees, possibly the longest par-4 in PGA Tour history -- earlier this week, he needed driver and 3-wood to reach the green because of wind speed and direction. "This golf course is set up like a U.S. Open," said 50-year-old Fred Funk, who won Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico last week to become the tour's oldest winner since 1975. Funk last played here in the '87 PGA, and his return got off to an ominous start. He lost his tee ball in the rough on his first practice hole, and said he "barely" found his tee shot on the second hole. "The rough is really high," said Funk, who briefly led the '87 PGA as a club professional. "I didn't really expect it to be quite as narrow. I mean, it's really set up tough out there, I think. We'll see how it plays. Hopefully we won't get any rain because it's still playing a little firm, thank goodness." The Honda will stay at PGA National for at least five more years after this, and Nicklaus doesn't sound like he's done with changes. Only two bunkers -- one on No. 1, another on No. 7 -- have been added in the last year, although Nicklaus said he wanted to add as many as 10 more, but simply ran out of time. Bottom line: It's hard now, and will likely be harder in the future. "We'll probably make some more changes next year," Nicklaus said. "This is supposedly the PGA's home headquarters and their crown-jewel golf course, so we probably should have it as good as we can." Posted Mar 02 2007, 04:05 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, PGA National