Golf International Magazine Online

March 2008 - Posts

• Tiger Woods Says He'll Know When to Quit

  Tiger Woods said on Wednesday he would rather quit golf than become mediocre and that he would know when to call it a day. The world number one has enjoyed an outstanding run of recent form, winning seven tournaments in succession worldwide before finishing two shots behind winner Geoff Ogilvy at Monday’s WGC-CA Championship in Miami. Although retirement was not on the horizon for Woods, he told Reuters in an interview he had worked out his exit plan. “For me it is very simple, it is when my best isn’t good enough any more,” said the 32-year-old. “I could not live with myself going out and practising and preparing as hard as I do and knowing that if I go out and play my best someone is just going to beat me. “But that happens, your skills diminish, guys get better, they are more athletic. You have your time in the sun, there is nothing wrong in walking away from it. “I have accomplished so much in the sport already and hopefully I can continue to do that for as long as I possibly can but when that time comes, well, every athlete knows when that happens,” added the 13-times major winner. Woods, who is chasing Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major triumphs, said he would find it tough to carry on competing when he was not at his best. “I am trying to prolong it, that early exit,” he said. “One of the great things about our sport is you can play as long as you want. “But do you want to play in mediocrity? That is the thing that I would have a hard time with.” Woods said he was a long way yet from reaching that stage. “I am 32 and I feel like I am just entering my prime,” said the American. “Every sport is slightly different. “I think MJ (Michael Jordan) would probably say his best years (in the NBA) were his early 30s whereas most (NFL) running backs would probably say it is their mid-to-late 20s. “In our sport your best years are generally in your 30s, some guys are able to sustain that into their early 40s.” Woods said he was still hurting after failing to win on Monday. “Losing is never fun,” he said. “(But) there were some nice positives that came from it…yes, there were some three putts, there were some mistakes, and yet I was only two shots back. “I feel I should have won the tournament. But I didn’t. That is how close the gap is, you can’t make many mistakes against that kind of field.” His purple patch has coincided with disappointing spells of form for two of his closest rivals, countryman Phil Mickelson and South African Ernie Els, but Woods said a challenger could emerge from anywhere on the PGA Tour. “Everyone is pushing. Our tour is getting so deep that anyone can win at any time, it is only going to get deeper,” he said during an appearance at Gillette’s ‘Search for the Next Phenom” sporting talent contest. “It is deeper now than when I came out in 1996 and it is going to be deeper still.” Posted Mar 28 2008, 06:52 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, PGA Tour, Retire, Michael Jordan

• Jose Maria Olazabal Rules Himself Out of Ryder Cup

  Twice former U.S. Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal said on Wednesday he will almost certainly not play in September’s Ryder Cup. The 42-year-old, who is Nick Faldo’s vice-captain for the Kentucky event, will make his return to competitive action at the Andalucia Open on Thursday after persistent problems with rheumatism cut short his 2007 season. “Unless I completely recover right away and my game hits standards I haven’t yet reached in my life before, as far as playing is concerned, I am out of the picture,” Olazabal told a news conference at the Aloha Golf Club. It has been Olazabal’s second long spell out of golf after suffering arthritis in his foot in 1995-96. His most recent problem affects his knee, shoulder, groin and lower-back, hindering him walking and bending. He decided on Sunday to ask for an invitation to the event co-promoted and organised by compatriots Miguel Angel Jimenez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano where he will tee up with Jimenez and German youngster Martin Kaymer. “I’m going to take it on a weekly basis, test myself and see if I can cope with competition again,” the seven-time Ryder Cup player said. “If my body holds up then I will reassess my situation. I do not know whether I will be able to play a schedule in America but if I feel the pain is bearable then I’m looking at playing Houston (Open) and the Masters.” Olazabal, who won the U.S. Masters in 1994 and 1999, refuses to consider retirement but admitted he thought his career could have been over when he was in so much pain towards the end of last year. “I have missed competition. I’ve missed putting myself to the test and it has not crossed my mind (to retire),” he added. “Did I think I couldn’t play again? All last September, October, November, December. It was a similar scenario to my first problems in that respect. When you have total lack of mobility you hit bottom, for sure.” Posted Mar 28 2008, 06:49 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Ryder Cup, Jose Maria Olazabal, Arthritis

• Laura Davies and Lorena Ochoa return at Safeway

  Laura Davies shoots for yet another title at the $1.5 million Safeway International, which starts Thursday. Davies won this event a record four straight times from 1994-97. A 20-time winner on the LPGA Tour, she has not won an event in seven years. But Davies, 44, showed some real glimpses of her best form last year, winning a European Tour tournament in Austria. “I did play very well last year and definitely think I could win again in the States,” said Davies, a native of England. “I came close a few times and it was just a pity that I didn’t manage to get another victory. But I’m confident going into the new season.” Defending tournament champion and world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa also headlines a field that includes seven other winners of this event. After winning her first event of the season in Singapore earlier this month, Ochoa finished tied for eighth two weeks ago at the Mastercard Classic. Former world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Julie Inkster and Se Ri Pak also will tee off Thursday at the Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. Posted Mar 28 2008, 06:45 AM by Golf International with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, Lorena Ochoa, LPGA Tour, Safeway International, Laura Davies

• Isleworth Win Tavistock Cup 19.5-11.5

  J.B. Holmes shot a 4-under 68 to win individual honors and help Isleworth defeat Lake Nona Golf and Country Club for the Tavistock Cup on Tuesday. Isleworth prevailed in the two-day, Ryder Cup-styled event between pros from two exclusive central Florida clubs 19 1/2 -11 1/2 . Lake Nona’s Ian Poulter shot 69 to finish second in the individual event, one stroke ahead of Isleworth players Mark O’Meara and Tiger Woods—who had won the individual competition each of the past three years. Posted Mar 27 2008, 07:57 AM by Golf International with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, J.B. Holmes, Isleworth, Mark O’Meara, Travistock Cup

• Retief Goosen Feeling Confident Again

  Winless on the PGA Tour for almost three years, twice U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen has renewed confidence in his game for this week’s New Orleans Classic. The smooth-swinging South African tied for second at the weather-delayed WGC-CA Championship in Miami on Monday and is in optimistic mood with the year’s first major, the April 10-13 Masters, just around the corner. “It’s nice to get the game going a little bit,” Goosen told reporters after finishing one stroke behind Geoff Ogilvy of Australia at Doral Golf Resort & Spa. “It’s a pity I couldn’t have had just one shot better, but overall I’m very happy. “This was my fifth event in a row and I was determined to keep going to get my game in shape,” added the 39-year-old after posting his first top-10 on the 2008 PGA Tour. “I don’t like to practise a lot so I felt playing a lot was the only way to get my game back into shape.” Goosen, U.S. Open champion at Southern Hills in 2001 and in 2004, says better putting over the last month has been the pivotal factor in his improved game. “I changed my putting a little bit about three weeks ago and then last week at Bay Hill I actually started to putt a little bit better,” he said, referring to his tie for 14th at Bay Hill where he closed with successive 68s. “If you can make putts, you can score and that’s what I did this week. I made a few good putts and just came up one short, really. “My putting has definitely improved a lot and also my chipping. I still need to work on the driving a little bit but overall things are getting pretty good. I’m really looking forward to the Masters.” Goosen, whose last PGA Tour victory came at the 2005 International, faces a strong field this week at the Pete Dye-designed TPC Louisiana where five of the world’s top 20 are in action. Fourth-ranked American Steve Stricker heads the list, along with compatriots Jim Furyk (ninth), Stewart Cink (13th) and Masters champion Zach Jonson (20th), plus Ireland’s British Open winner Padraig Harrington (11th). American Nick Watney defends the title he won by three shots last year after holding off compatriot Ken Duke in a last-day duel. Watney became the third successive winner of the New Orleans Classic, after fellow Americans Chris Couch and Tim Petrovic, to claim his maiden title at the event. The tournament starts on Thursday. Posted Mar 27 2008, 07:54 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, PGA Tour, Retief Goosen, WGC-CA Championship, New Orleans Classic

• Geoff Ogilvy Ends Tiger Woods Streak

  So much for that perfect-season talk. Not only has Tiger Woods been beaten, Geoff Ogilvy did it on a course where the world’s No. 1 player looked unstoppable in recent years. Ogilvy won the CA Championship on Monday, saving a round that seemed in peril with a chip-in for par at the 13th hole and going on to claim his second victory in a World Golf Championship event. A final-round of 1-under 71 was good enough for him to finish at 17 under, one shot better than Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh, all closing with 68s in the rain-delayed tournament. Woods was alone in fifth at 15 under, losing for the first time in his last eight starts worldwide. “It was going to end at some point,” Ogilvy said. “I’m very glad that I did it. It’s a nice place to do it, too, because he’s obviously owned this place for the last few years. He just had one of those weeks.” With the win, Ogilvy joined select company—only Woods and Darren Clarke have more than one WGC title. But this week won’t be remembered for that accomplishment: It’ll be known as the week someone finally took down Tiger. “As players, it’s nice to see somebody else lift a trophy for a change,” Goosen said. It was Woods’ first defeat since Sept. 3, and his perfect start to 2008— 3-for-3 on the PGA Tour, 4-for-4 overall—begged the ridiculous-sounding question: Could he go unbeaten for an entire year? No one ever has, and it’s not really a huge surprise that Woods won’t this year, either. “The chit-chat about ‘Is he going to win every golf tournament this year,’ that’s frustrating stuff to hear,” Ogilvy said. Woods struggled to a third-round 72 while every other contender piled up birdies with alarming regularity, and simply dug such a deep hole that even he couldn’t escape. “I think it’s a great sign, what happened this week, to make that many mistakes and only be two back,” Woods said. In typical fashion, Woods made a huge charge Monday at Doral, where he’d won each of the last three years. Woods birdied three of the seven holes he played in the morning, getting to 15 under but never making up the entire gap between himself and Ogilvy, whose last win was the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. “You want to always win every one you play in,” Woods said. “So you’ve just got to get ready for the next one.” His next official tournament: the Masters, where Woods’ annual Grand Slam quest will begin. Woods started the morning five shots back with seven holes remaining and made his typical charge, closing within two strokes after making a 4-footer at the 17th. He birdied the 12th to start his day, then hit his tee shot within a foot at the par-3 15th for a tap-in. At that moment, Ogilvy seemed in trouble. His tee shot at the par-3 13th missed way left, and his chip from thick, wet grass didn’t even reach the green—making bogey seem probable, until a most improbable shot followed. Ogilvy’s second chip hopped twice, hit the pin and dropped straight in, giving the Australian a break he desperately needed. If it went past the cup, he surely could have been looking at double-bogey—since the ball clearly would have kept rolling for a while. “That was moving,” Ogilvy said. “That’s why you have to hit it on line. Flag gets in the way.” And with the way Woods wasn’t capitalizing on all his chances, Ogilvy didn’t have to be perfect, either. Woods gave himself birdie putts on every hole he played Monday, missing four of them, including a 15-footer at the par-4 14th hole that left his face pained in disbelief. He wasn’t the only one misfiring on some chances in the tournament’s deciding holes. Singh was the first one to make a run at Ogilvy, getting with a stroke early Monday before back-to-back bogeys essentially doomed his chances. Furyk got within one after making birdie at the 17th, then missed the fairway at the finishing hole. Adam Scott started the morning four shots off the pace, then inexplicably missed a 2-foot tap-in for a bogey that took away any hope of making a run. “People don’t really understand, you need to have something happen, a positive thing happen to you out there in order to win tournaments,” Woods said. “I heard Geoff bladed one in the hole for par. That’s what you need to have happen. Those are the things that have happened to me, and things weren’t going that way this week.” It has come to this: When Woods doesn’t win, it counts as stunning news. He was less than an even-money favorite before the tournament began, and at least one British bookmaker had Woods at the preposterous odds of 1-to-3 after the second round—when he wasn’t even in the lead. But since Woods’ surge of late was amazing even by his own standards, why would those oddsmakers expect anything less? Woods had won nine of his last 10 starts worldwide, a run that doesn’t even include helping the United States win the Presidents Cup. In the first 2 1/2 months of 2008, Woods seemed unbeatable as ever. He won the Buick Invitational, the Dubai Desert Classic, the Accenture Match Play and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Going back to September, when this streak began, he’d pocketed $7.2 million in prize money alone—more than Palmer, Seve Ballesteros and Lee Trevino made in their PGA Tour careers combined. Woods’ winnings of $285,000 this week pushed his official career earnings to nearly $80.2 million. He won’t have to wait long for the chance to begin a new winning streak, either. Woods was leaving Doral quickly Monday to begin play at the Tavistock Cup, the annual two-day, Ryder Cup-style match between tour pros from the Lake Nona and Isleworth clubs in Orlando. “Going to be a long day,” Woods said. Posted Mar 25 2008, 03:24 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, Geoff Ogilvy, WGC-CA Championship, Rain Delay

• Isleworth Lead Tavistock Cup 7-3

  Tiger Woods wasn’t going to lose twice in one day. Hours after completing his final round and finishing fifth at the CA Championship, Woods and his team from Isleworth took a 7-3 lead over Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Monday’s opening round of the Tavistock Cup. The two-day event pits pros from the two exclusive clubs against each other in a Ryder Cup-style competition. Woods—whose six-month winning streak ended earlier in the day at Doral, when Geoff Ogilvy won the CA Championship—teamed with John Cook to halve a match against Lake Nona’s Graeme McDowell and Henrick Stenson, with both sides shooting 6-under 66. Isleworth took three other best-ball matches outright: Mark O’Meara and Charles Howell III defeated Trevor Immelman and Mark McNulty 69-73, Daniel Chopra and J.B. Holmes edged Ben Curtis and Ian Poulter 65-66, and Robert Allenby and Nick O’Nern downed Chris DiMarco and Ernie Els 67-69. Lake Nona’s lone win came in the final match of the day, with Retief Goosen and Justin Rose beating Stuart Appleby and Craig Parry 67-68. “A long day,” said Woods, who teed off at Doral at 8:30 a.m. Monday, made the quick flight to Orlando and teed off there shortly before 2 p.m. Singles matches will be held Tuesday, including one between Isleworth’s Paula Creamer and Lake Nona’s Annika Sorenstam. The five men’s pros on each team will play dueling singles matches against two players from the opposing club, meaning 21 points will be at stake. Woods has won the individual title each of the past three years. Posted Mar 25 2008, 03:22 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, Isleworth, Lake Nona Golf and Country Club

• Jose Maria Olazabal Returns After Injury

  Twice former U.S. Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, who was plagued by injury last year, will return to competitive action at this week’s Andalucia Open. “This is just a test, nothing else,” the 42-year-old Spaniard said in a news release on Monday. “It does not mean I am back on a regular basis. “I am going to test myself and see how I feel, how does my body react. I am coming to the Aloha Golf Club with doubts, I am not sure whether it will be a matter of just one week and then back home, or I can continue playing some more tournaments.” Olazabal, who has had persistent problems with rheumatism, won the U.S. Masters in 1994 and 1999 and has 21 other European Tour victories to his name. He has played in the Ryder Cup seven times and established a formidable partnership with fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros. Olazabal said he was coming back to the tour despite feeling less than 100 percent fit. “I would not like people to get a wrong idea of the situation, I don’t want anybody to think I am back,” he said. “I am not completely recovered, neither am I feeling 100 percent.” The Andalucia Open starts on Thursday. Posted Mar 25 2008, 03:20 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Jose Maria Olazabal, Return From Injury

• Michelle Wie Pulls Out of Safeway International

  Michelle Wie withdrew from the Safeway International on Friday after tweaking an injury to her left wrist during practice last week. “I am extremely disappointed to miss the 2008 Safeway International,” Wie said. “I’m so grateful to Tom Maletis and the entire tournament staff for offering me this great opportunity, and hope to be back again next year. The 18-year-old Wie received a sponsor exemption to play in the event next week at Superstition Mountain in Arizona. She has played one tournament this year, finishing 20 strokes winner Paula Creamer in the Fields Open in Hawaii late last month. Wie’s agent, Jill Smoller of the William Morris Agency, said the Stanford freshman reinjured her left wrist when she accidentally hit a ball that was embedded in thick rough on the driving range at Stanford on March 13. Smoller said Wie immediately consulted a doctor at Stanford and also saw a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Monday. “Fortunately, X-rays, an MRI and a CAT scan didn’t show any major injury,” Smoller said. “Her doctor diagnosed it as a sprain, and advised Michelle to rest the wrist for a few weeks to allow it to heal properly.” Posted Mar 25 2008, 03:17 PM by Golf International with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, Michelle Wie, 2008, Safeway International, Withdrawl, Wrist Injury

• Geoff Ogilvy Leads as Weather Forces Monday Finish

  Tiger Woods’ unbeaten streak lives another day. Barring a big comeback, it’ll live for only one more day. Geoff Ogilvy got to 17 under through nine holes and held a two-shot lead over Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh at the soggy CA Championship, which won’t finish until Monday because of a three-hour weather delay during the final round. Furyk was 15 under through 10, Singh through nine. Retief Goosen and Graeme Storm were three shots back and Steve Stricker made a huge charge, shooting a final-round 63 to finish 13 under, four shots back of Ogilvy. Play will resume Monday at 8:30 a.m., when most intrigue will be pointed toward someone who likely won’t win. World Golf Championship events are some of Woods’ favorites, given his 15 wins in 26 previous WGCs entering this week. Somehow, at Doral, he’s looked mortal. He hasn’t lost to anyone in months, yet when play was halted, he was tied for ninth, trailing Ogilvy by five. Ogilvy’s last win was the 2006 U.S. Open. Woods missed the cut that summer at Winged Foot and has been on an absolute tear ever since, winning 16 of his last 26 official PGA Tour events and carrying winning streaks of seven straight appearances worldwide and five tournaments on tour into this week’s stop at Doral, a track where he’s prevailed each of the past three years. Unless he pulls off a stirring comeback, all those streaks will end, meaning he’ll be a winner in only nine of his past 11 events heading into the Masters. For anyone else, that’s a superhuman clip. For Woods, it’s become practically expected. Ogilvy’s bogey-free streak for the week ended after 60 holes, when he left a 35-foot par putt short on the seventh hole. Moments later, Woods had a two-putt birdie at the par-5 eighth hole, getting within four of Ogilvy—but gave that stroke back one hole later, making bogey after appearing to be distracted by a camera click as he teed off on the par-3 ninth. The up-and-down trend plagued him all weekend. Woods’ chances took a serious hit in the third round, when every other contender seemed to go on a birdie barrage while he remained stuck in the Doral mud. Singh and Storm each shot 63, Goosen and Furyk shot 64s, while Woods could only manage a third-round 72. He gave the omnipresent throng of fans who followed him in the gallery much hope when he opened the final round with two birdies. But he followed those with consecutive bogeys, one before the weather delay, one after at the long par-3 fourth hole. At that point, he trailed Ogilvy by six, and was a decidedly un-Tigerlike even par over his past 25 holes. It sure didn’t look like much of a tuneup for Augusta National. Third-round play was suspended Saturday after 3 inches of rain fell in a three-hour stretch of the afternoon, and the final round didn’t begin until shortly before noon Sunday. Final-round play was suspended for three hours because of lightning threats. By the time play could resume, there was only about 2 hours of daylight remaining, nowhere near enough time for everyone to finish. Players had about a 2 1/2 -hour break before starting the final round Sunday, and with more storms in the forecast, some wondered why they weren’t on the course earlier. “I think we were all asking the same question, exactly,” Furyk said. “I don’t know. It seems as though that would have been the safest way.” Instead, most players will finish Monday, when Woods will need a huge charge. “It can be had,” Woods said. 200 Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 65 67 68 204 Vijay Singh (Fij) 73 68 63, Adam Scott (Aus) 67 68 69, Jim Furyk 69 71 64, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 71 69 64, Graeme Storm (Eng) 71 70 63 205 Tiger Woods 67 66 72, Anders Hansen (Den) 67 71 67 206 Tim Clark (Rsa) 71 69 66 207 KJ Choi (Kor) 70 70 67 208 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 70 70, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 68 70 70, Zach Johnson 69 72 67 209 Mike Weir (Can) 73 69 67, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 67 75 67, Stephen Ames (Can) 73 68 68 210 Robert Allenby (Aus) 69 75 66, Mark Calcavecchia 68 71 71, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 65 74 71, Luke Donald (Eng) 68 72 70, Gregory Havret (Fra) 68 74 68 211 Ross Fisher (Eng) 68 73 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 71 71, Stewart Cink 66 74 71, Phil Mickelson 67 74 70, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 70 69, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 73 69, Justin Rose (Eng) 70 71 70, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 72 69 70, Camilo Villegas (Col) 71 72 68 212 Steve Stricker 71 68 73, John Rollins 74 71 67, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 73 71 68 213 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 69 74 70, Justin Leonard 69 74 70, Graeme McDowell (NIrl) 72 71 70, Andres Romero (Arg) 68 72 73, Toru Taniguchi (Jpn) 68 73 72 214 Paul Casey (Eng) 72 75 67, Arron Oberholser 72 70 72, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 70 74 70, Boo Weekley 72 73 69, Nick Dougherty (Eng) 70 73 71, Woody Austin 70 70 74, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 68 73 73, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 70 70 74 215 Hunter Mahan 72 72 71, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 72 74 69, Ian Poulter (Eng) 71 72 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 68 74 73, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 74 73 68, Scott Verplank 71 70 74, Lee Westwood (Eng) 71 72 72, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 71 77 67 216 J.B. Holmes 69 72 75, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 72 70, Brandt Snedeker 74 70 72 217 James Kingston (Rsa) 74 75 68, Richard Green (Aus) 74 72 71, Brendan Jones (Aus) 76 75 66, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 75 74 68, Charles Howell III 69 76 72, Paul Sheehan (Aus) 72 73 72 218 Peter Hanson (Swe) 71 74 73, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 74 74 70 219 Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 75 74 70, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 74 74 71 220 Craig Parry (Aus) 73 75 72, Brett Wetterich 70 74 76, Jonathan Byrd 74 74 72, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 72 72 76 222 Soren Hansen (Den) 77 77 68, Ernie Els (Rsa) 74 75 73, D.J. Trahan 74 73 75 223 Mark Brown (Nzl) 73 74 76, Shingo Katayama (Jpn) 75 76 72 224 Heath Slocum 74 72 78 225 Anton Haig (Rsa) 72 80 73 Posted Mar 24 2008, 07:33 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker, 2008, Jim Furyk, Reteif Goosen, Geoff Ogilvy, WGC-CA Championship, Graeme Storm

• Greg Kraft Snatches Narrow Victory

  Now, it’s official—Greg Kraft is a winner on the PGA Tour. Kraft shot a 70 to outlast Bo Van Pelt down the stretch, finishing 14 under for a one-shot victory Sunday at the inaugural Puerto Rico Open. Jerry Kelly (70), at No. 63 the highest-ranked golfer here, and Van Pelt (72) were second at Trump International Golf Club. Briny Baird (72) and Kevin Stadler (67) were another shot behind. Kraft won the Deposit Guaranty Classic in Mississippi 15 years ago. Since it took place the same weekend as the Masters, however, it didn’t count as an “official” tour win. The world’s best may have again been elsewhere for Kraft’s latest success, playing Doral’s Blue Monster in the World Golf Championship’s CA Championships. This time, though, there’ll be no asterisks. Kraft earned $630,000—more than he’s made on the PGA Tour combined since 2003—and has secured playing privileges through 2010. He had played only two other PGA Tour events this season, his best finish before now a tie for 19th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico, which also came the week of a WGC tournament. It’s been a long road back to the top for Kraft, who turns 44 in April. Kraft had closed in on the tour’s top 50 money winners a decade ago and looked to be entering the prime of his career. However, he contracted an illness, Valley fever, during the 2002 Tucson Open. The disease is caused by a fungus that get stirred up in soil and attacks the lungs. Kraft suddenly was losing strength and didn’t know what was wrong. Doctors had trouble diagnosing the malady, even telling Kraft he had cancer. He underwent painful chemotherapy and had a section of a lung removed. The problems led Kraft to sue the PGA Tour and the resort that hosted the tournament. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed, Kraft said. Gradually, Kraft found his strength. This week in Puerto Rico, he rediscovered his championship game. No one was steadier than Kraft. He went 29 straight holes without a bogey on the weekend until a meaningless mistake on the 72nd hole. Kraft began Sunday a shot behind Van Pelt, who led after each of first three days here. Early on, Van Pelt seemingly locked down his own first tour win with a stunning eagle-3 on the fifth hole to grab a two-shot lead. Still, Kraft stayed close with a birdie on No. 5. His chance came soon enough as Van Pelt had consecutive bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes to fall into a three-way tie for first with the back nine to go. Kraft and Van Pelt had matching birdies on the 12th to stay tied at 14 under. Two holes later, Kraft moved in front for good after Van Pelt’s bogey. Briny Baird was part of that three-way tie for first. But Baird followed with four straight bogeys to fall from contention. He rallied back within a shot of Kraft after a stretch of three birdies in four holes, but that was as close as Baird could get. Kraft wasn’t about to bobble this one away. He cemented things with a birdie on the par-4 17th to open a three-shot cushion. Posted Mar 24 2008, 07:31 AM by Golf International with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, PGA Tour, Puerto Rico Open, Bo Van Pelt, Jerry Kelly, Greg Kraft

• Geoff Ogilvy & Miguel Angel Jimenez Lead on First Day

  Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez shared the first round lead at the WGC-CA Championship after posting impressive seven-under-par rounds of 65 in windy conditions on Thursday. The pair had a one-shot lead over American Stewart Cink, with world number one Tiger Woods among a group of five players who were two shots off the lead. Woods bogeyed the par-four 18th, missing a five-foot putt as rain began to fall. Woods, the defending champion and looking for his 10th win in 11 tournaments, also bogeyed the seventh. The unfancied Jimenez ended his round with an excellent 16-foot putt for birdie on the 18th. Dane Anders Hansen and Australians Adam Scott and Nick O’Hern also shot 67, along with world number two Phil Mickelson. Ogilvy, who was five under after the opening nine holes and remained bogey free, was delighted with his performance. “I played well, I drove the ball well which is important here because the rough is not very nice, it takes all the spin off the ball and you can hit some funny shots out of it. I didn’t hit it in the rough much,” said the Australian. Woods, who has not lost since September, was unimpressed with his display on a course where he has enjoyed plenty of success. “I didn’t really do anything special. I just kind of hung in there and took care of the par-fives and made a few birdies but all in all just kind of ground it out,” he said. The 32-year-old has won the last three events on the Blue Monster course at Doral—last year’s WGC-CA and the final two years of the Doral Open. But he was clearly disappointed to have taken three putts on the final hole. “You three-putt 18 you are not going to be real happy. They don’t feel good especially when you have bad speed. That first putt was bad speed,” he said. Mickelson, who won the Northern Trust Open in February but has been below his best lately, was pleased that his putting improved throughout the day. “It was a good start, I ended up birdieing four holes coming in which made the round for me,” he said. “After last week’s performances on the greens, it was important to get a few to go in. That gives me some confidence.” Ten players finished on four under par, including American Mark Calcavecchia, Britain’s Luke Donald, Japanese pair Toru Taniguchi and Ryuji Imada and Indian Jeev Milkha Singh. Posted Mar 21 2008, 07:15 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, PGA Tour, Adam Scott, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Stewart Cink, Nick O’Hern, Dane Anders Hansen, Geoff Ogilvy, WGC-CA Championship

• Bo Van Pelt Tops Leaderboard

  Bo Van Pelt never has much planned for World Golf Championship weeks. That might change, though, after he opened with an 8-under 64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the inaugural Puerto Rico Open. Because the 32-year-old Van Pelt doesn’t play many WGC tournaments such as this week’s CA Championship at Doral, he usually takes a break before his next tour stop. But with only one full tournament under his belt since mid-February—and the kids on spring break—Van Pelt changed his routine and headed to Puerto Rico. “So I was excited,” he said. “I said, ‘Let’s go down there and have some fun.”’ Van Pelt certainly had a good time at Trump International Golf Club. He shot his best round since last June to take a two-stroke lead over Ted Purdy and Kyle Thompson. Five players, including Jerry Kelly, were another stroke back at 67. Van Pelt had birdies on three of his first five holes. His lone bobble of the day came on the par-4 fourth after driving the ball in the water for a bogey. Things took off with three consecutive birdies to start the back. He made a 10-footer on No. 10, followed with a 6-foot putt on the par-3 11th, then closed with an 8-footer on No. 12. Van Pelt says his most important shot came to save par on the 14th, a long, 459-yarder. After hitting what he called his “only poor iron shot of the day” left of the green, Van Pelt chipped to tap-in range. “You make bogey you kind of kill your momentum a little bit,” he said. Instead, Van Pelt charged to the end. He made birdies on three of his last four holes, his best performance since a 64 at the Travelers Championship nine months ago. “When the year started, I probably didn’t have this on my schedule,” said Van Pelt, smiling. Purdy’s someone else who’ll pencil this in next spring. He’d earned more than $5 million and his lone PGA Tour title, the 2005 Byron Nelson event, between 2004-06. But he lost his tour card, finishing 127th on the money list last year, then flamed out at tour qualifying. Purdy spent the offseason crunching abs along with refining his short game, his biggest problem from a year ago. Results have been slow coming. Purdy missed three of five cuts this season and hadn’t finished better than a tie for 50th in February’s FBR Open. In Puerto Rico, Purdy’s seen things work the way he’d hoped. “It’s my best round of the year and maybe my best round in a while,” he said. The highlight was snaking in a 60-footer for birdie on the par-3 sixth hole, his 15th. Purdy threw his hands in the air in celebration when the ball dropped in. “I watched Tiger do it on TV a lot, so I know it can be done,” Purdy joked. Kelly, at No. 63 in the world is the highest-ranked player in the PGA Tour’s first island visit. Maybe it was the Atlantic waves crashing against the shore or the tropical El Yunque rain forest behind, but Kelly felt an energy he hadn’t much of this season—it was just his second sub-70 outing in his past 10 rounds on tour. “I love being surrounded by water,” Kelly said. “People are different when they’re surrounded by water. They just go with the flow a lot more than when they’re surrounded by concrete and structures.” Thompson, a rookie from South Carolina, played bogey-free golf to catch Purdy. No question the suavest golfer here is Chi Chi Rodriguez. The eight-time PGA Tour winner and tournament host strolled the grounds Thursday morning in a black leather coat and dark sunglasses. Officials hoped to persuade Rodriguez, whose career has been celebrated all week, to tee it on native soil. But at 72, Rodriguez was content to shake hands, greet friends and pose for pictures. “I didn’t want to take a spot away from young men trying to make a living,” Rodriguez said. Posted Mar 21 2008, 07:12 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, PGA Tour, Puerto Rico Open, Bo Van Pelt

• For Tiger It's Majors That Count

  World number one Tiger Woods, winner of nine of his last ten tournaments, said on Wednesday that despite all his recent wins it is victories in majors that count when a player's career is recalled. Woods picked up his 64th PGA Tour win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday and can move above Ben Hogan in the all-time rankings with victory in the WGC-CA Championship starting on Thursday. But already his mind has turned towards next month's U.S Masters at Augusta. "This week is a new week and I'm trying to get this one and make sure my game is right for Augusta. As I've always said, you want to peak four times a year and I want everything going positively that way," said Woods after practice on the Blue Monster course at the Doral Golf resort in Miami. Woods has won seven tournaments in a row - five of them PGA Tour events - and has not been beaten since September. The Masters is the first major of the season and Woods said that is in the majors where legacies are made. "You can win every tournament for the entire year but if you go 0 for 4 in the entire year in the major championships then, well it's just that you don't really get remembered for the number of wins in a career. "It is the number of wins in major championships. Those are the biggest events. If you win one major a year, it turns a good year into a great year. "That's one of the reasons why I think we as players put so much emphasis on those major championships. They mean so much, and not only to us but in the historical sense," he said. Woods has won 13 majors and was last week tipped by Arnold Palmer to become the first player to win a Grand Slam of all four majors - the Masters, U.S Open, British Open and PGA Championship - in one calendar year. There are no signs though that Woods's rivals are losing heart as a result of his domination. American Sean O'Hair, who played Sunday's final round at Bay Hill with Woods, said standards are being forced up by the 'Tiger factor'. "When Tiger came out, '97, '96, look at the level of how guys were playing then and look at it now. I mean, it's night and day. He has made us step up a notch. "The players out here are better because of him. I honestly believe that. He's going to obviously keep doing what he's doing. He's going to keep dominating. "But we're not going to sit there and lay down and say, well, that's just the way it is. We're going to try and get better and try and compete with him. I mean, that's our jobs," he said. The chasing pack were at least given a glimmer of hope when Woods was asked whether he thought he would lose a tournament this year. "I'm sure it will happen eventually," he said. Posted Mar 20 2008, 08:08 AM by Golf International with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, PGA Tour, U.S. Masters

• Notah Begay Returns After Long Lay Off

  American Notah Begay returns to Europe in the hope of resurrecting his career this week after nearly a year out of action with back problems. The four-times U.S. PGA Tour winner has passed up a chance of playing the Nationwide Tour, America's second-rated tour, to fly to Europe to take up a one-year medical exemption. "It's been a long road," Begay told Reuters as he prepared for the Madeira Islands Open, which starts on Thursday. "I ruptured my disc early last year and I've spent almost the last 12 months trying to get it healthy enough to come back over and deal with the golf and all the travel. Hopefully it will hold up this time." Last year, after switching tours to try to revive his career, Begay briefly led in Madeira and challenged strongly on the mountainside course until a long-term back injury returned to spoil his weekend. By the Irish Open in May, sciatic nerve problems were so bad that he went home. Begay, whose U.S. wins date back to 1999 and 2000, has been encouraged by a reasonably successful PGA Tour qualifying school, where, though he did not qualify for the full tour, he played well enough to earn a Nationwide Tour card. When he knew he had been granted an extension for 2008 for Europe, though, he was quick to opt to go overseas. "It wasn't a difficult decision," he said. "The calibre of play here is so strong I really feel this is a better place for me to work on my game." To help his cause, the New Mexico native has moved east to Dallas to make his trips to Europe shorter and has taken on new training staff. He takes inspiration from old friend Tiger Woods, the world number one, with whom he shared a room at Stanford University. "We stayed at his house during Q school in Florida. He was a great host, cooked for me every night. We encourage each other just like when we were back in college," said Begay. "He understands how hard I've been working. He's one of my biggest supporters. He's given me belief I can get back on track." Posted Mar 20 2008, 08:05 AM by Golf International with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Golf International, PGA Tour, European PGA Tour, Medical Exemption, Notah Begay