Golf International Magazine Online

December 2008 - Posts

• 2008 Golf Year in Review

  People used to say that the only things that could stop Tiger Woods would be marriage and children, then possibly an injury. He handled the first part so well that Elin is pregnant with the couple's second child. However, Woods could not avoid his first truly serious injury. He did the best he could gutting it out, which was a victory at the U.S. Open and nearly taking another Player of the Year award. Woods is a freak of nature and dominated yet another year even though he only made it through half of it. PLAYER OF THE YEAR Padraig Harrington Runners-up - Lorena Ochoa, Tiger Woods Here's the easiest way to tell why Harrington deserved this award: Tiger voted for him. No, not in this Player of the Year race, but in the PGA Tour's version, Woods cast his ballot for the British Open and PGA Champion. At Woods' pre-tournament press conference at the Chevron World Challenge, he acknowledged he voted for Harrington. Woods' reasoning couldn't have been any simpler. "He won two." Yes, Harrington won two. He won two major championships in a season. That should be good enough for anyone. The last time someone without the surname Woods won two majors in a year was Mark O'Meara in 1998. That Irishman won the players' vote as well. You might have heard the theory that Harrington's accomplishments were a little tainted by Woods' absence. But two majors are two majors. That is undeniable and to turn the trick in back-to-back majors makes Harrington's special year even more so. Woods was astonishing in 2008. He started six events, he won four of them. Remember this, too: Woods finished second at the Masters. His other finish was a fifth at the WGC-CA Championship. That's a remarkable half-year. Oh yeah, and Woods did it all on one functioning leg. Ochoa was no bum either. She won seven times, including four in a row early in the year. Ochoa took home another major title, another money title and once again dominated the LPGA Tour. But did Ochoa win two majors in the year? No. Did Tiger? No.Harrington did. This is not to say Harrington's season didn't have some downward turns. He was awful in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, missing the cut at the first two events and sharing 55th at the BMW Championship. Harrington was so bad he didn't even get into the Tour Championship field. Harrington was 0-3-1 in the Ryder Cup in a losing effort for Europe. But Harrington did the one thing no one else did in 2008. "He won two." ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Yani Tseng Runner-up - Bernhard Langer Yani Tseng will turn 20 about three weeks after the New Year. That's young to be a contributing member of the LPGA Tour, but if that's all you think of Tseng, you're doing her quite a disservice. In her first season on the LPGA Tour, Tseng made her first victory a major when she toppled Maria Hjorth in a playoff for the LPGA Championship. It was the highlight of an amazingly consistent season. Tseng posted nine top-10 finishes, including seven top-threes. She pocketed a cool $1,743,553 in earnings, which was good for third on the money list. And Tseng's remarkable rookie year vaulted her to second in the Rolex Rankings. Langer had a magnificent year with three wins, although none were major titles. He won the Champions Tour Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, which was only the third time in the history of the elder circuit a player swiped both trophies. Much like Harrington's case for Player of the Year, major championships mean a great deal. Tseng got one, Langer didn't. TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR U.S. Open Runners-up - Ryder Cup, Senior PGA Championship, British Open Championship Let us paint a picture... On one side you have a journeyman, loved by all who know him. He's always had a serious back problem -- it even once cost him a shot at the Masters on the back nine Sunday. On the other side you have the best golfer in the world -- maybe in the history of the world. He's probably the most famous American not named Oprah or George and he's the favorite every time he plays a major. This journeyman -- let's call him Rocco (even that's a perfect underdog journeyman name) -- gets into the clubhouse at one-under 282. The favorite -- say his name is Eldrick -- needs a birdie at the last hole to force 18 more on Monday. This Eldrick knocks his third to 15 feet at the par-five closing hole at Torrey Pines. Of course he makes it. "I knew he would make that putt. That's what he does," says Rocco. It's Monday morning on the west coast and, once again, the underdog has the advantage. He's got a one-shot lead on the 18th tee and makes a par after his 20-foot birdie try stayed above land. Eldrick two-putts for a birdie and it's off to the 91st hole of the championship. Of course in the end, the favorite prevailed. It brought Rocco back into the public consciousness and showcased Eldrick in the best possible way. It was after this victory that Eldrick hobbled off to surgery. Eight days later, he had season-ending surgery for a torn ACL. Eldrick Woods went 91 holes for his third U.S. Open with a torn ACL, but no one forgot the journeyman named Rocco. STORY OF THE YEAR Tiger's season ends. Runners-up - Annika Sorenstam retires, Greg Norman contends at British Open, Seve Ballesteros' cancer. When the top player in the world misses half of the season due to knee surgery, that's huge. When you realize his accomplishments on one useful leg, you marvel. Woods won four out of six tournaments he played in 2008. When you think about the fact that he did it on a leg in such bad shape that it required surgery, you shake your head. With Woods shelved, several players made their mark, most notably Harrington. But Paddy wasn't the only golfer to soak up the sun with Woods in rehab. Vijay Singh won the FedEx Cup title. Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim invigorated the youth movement in golf. Sergio Garcia is back on the landscape as a major force. Would any of this be possible if Woods didn't have ACL surgery? Impossible to say, but with four wins out of six starts, you'd have to think these guys wouldn't have been able to accomplish what they did. Woods has missed time due to various knee problems before, but that was like a chipped fingernail compared to major leg surgery. He's claiming he will play some events before the 2009 Masters, but who knows? GOOD YEAR Paul Azinger - The U.S. Ryder Cup captain went into the matches without the best player on the planet and didn't flinch. He took an old military strategy and broke his team of 12 into three groups of four all week and everyone came together. The Americans won in what turned out to be a landslide, but Zinger looked like a genius before that, just for tweaking the points system and getting four picks. Azinger's players loved him so much, they lobbied for him to return in 2010. The PGA of America didn't bite and tabbed Corey Pavin. Paula Creamer - She is the fourth-ranked women's player in the world and finished second on the LPGA Tour money list. Creamer won four times, posted seven top-five finishes and with the retirement of Sorenstam, assumes the position as top threat to Ochoa. Kenny Perry - No one beat up Perry more than yours truly. He skipped trying to qualify for the U.S. Open (didn't like Torrey Pines) and passed on the British Open (he wanted to play where he had a strong record -- the U.S. Bank Championship Milwaukee). Perry's lone goal for the season was to play near home, at Valhalla for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. He accomplished the goal with three wins in a five-week span during the summer. Perry went 2-1-1 for the Ryder Cup week and his decisive 3 & 2 victory over Henrik Stenson in singles went a long way toward helping the U.S. get its desperately-needed win in the Ryder Cup. Golf at the Olympics - Golf is trying to get on the schedule for the 2016 Olympic games and there is a unified front for its proposal. Former LPGA Tour Commissioner Ty Votaw, Sorenstam and Jack Nicklaus are some of the point people for golf and with a serious drug policy in place, this could be a reality. BAD YEAR John Daly - He has no playing status and his life seemed to implode once again. He was found drunk and unconscious in the parking lot of a Hooters and destroyed a spectator's camera in Australia when the fan got too close. O'Meara - He joined the Champions Tour in recent years with all the intent of winning some big money and becoming one of the circuit's biggest stars. O'Meara finished below Jeff Klein, Gary Koch and Costantino Rocca on the Schwab Cup points list and took 62nd on the money list in 16 starts. The FedEx Cup - Once again, players complained about the FedEx Cup. This year, Singh won the first two playoff events and all but clinched the title. Tour players thought -- perhaps correctly -- that there needs to be more emphasis on the Tour Championship. Now there will be more changes before next year's FedEx Cup. Steve Williams - First, his guy Tiger misses half of the season after leg surgery, although it's doubtful Williams cried poor. Toward the end of '08, Williams was quoted in a New Zealand newspaper calling Phil Mickelson a bad word and didn't really do anything to defuse the situation. Posted Dec 31 2008, 12:01 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: John Daly, Golf International, Tiger Woods, Bernhard Langer, Lorena Ochoa, Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, Paul Azinger, Steve Williams, Paula Creamer, 2008, Kenny Perry, Yani Tseng

• Tom Watson Looking Forward After Hip Surgery

  A couple of weeks ago, for the first time since undergoing a total left hip replacement surgery in early October, Tom Watson started swinging a golf club again. Hitting into a net at Kansas City Country Club, Watson said he took it easy on the first eight or 10 swings with his driver. But feeling no ill effects from the first surgery of his long and storied golf career, he thought to himself, "Let's see what I can do." So, he said, he hit 200 balls as hard as he could into the net. "I put the pedal to the metal," he said. "No problem. I did it for another hour." Sitting in a conference room in his Kansas City-area office on Tuesday, Watson swiveled his left leg to show what he said is a noticeably increased range of motion. He said he's pain-free. He said he's ready as another Champions Tour season approaches. "Right now, I could play a golf tournament without any problem. I could walk the necessary 72 holes if it took it," he said. "I'm getting in pretty darn good shape." But it's another cold Kansas City morning as he discussed his surgery and the upcoming season, and to that point the chill in the air had prevented him from actually playing a round of golf since before the early October procedure. He heard Gary Lezak forecast warmer weather ahead, and if the temperature creeps above 50 degrees, he'll probably get out and play. One way or the other, though, he'll be back on the course soon enough. Watson plans to play in back-to-back events next month, starting with the Wendy's Champions Skins Game on Jan. 17-18 in Hawaii. It's the first event of the 2009 Champions Tour season. Regardless of how warm it gets in Kansas City between now and then, Watson believes he'll be ready for the competition. "This is for 90 shooters like you," he said to the person in the room who hasn't won eight majors and who considers the '90s shooters' label generous. "The two most important clubs in your bag are your driver and your putter, and those are the two clubs that I'm working on right now." The putter is what really has him intrigued. He's been working with technology that analyzes various components in one's putting stroke and has confirmed what he long believed -- that he aims left when he thinks his aim is straight, and that he opens his club face at impact, putting side spin on the ball. "I'm just trying to get my timing, my rhythm, my power back. And I'm working with the putter," he said. "That excites me because I haven't putted very well or very consistently at all in the last 20 years. I've won a few tournaments, but I remember days past where I made everything. "Now I've got something that I can go out and see if when the chips are down, whether it's going to work or not." He seems more curious about that than how he'll hold up to the rigors of regular competition just a few months after hip replacement surgery. Of course, the surgery wasn't so much a golf decision as it was a lifestyle decision. There were four or five events last season, including the U.S. Senior Open, where he felt his hip stiffened up enough to compromise his play. But more than that, for about two years, he said, he struggled with the dull pain that kept him awake at night and the considerably sharper pain when he moved the wrong way in his sleep. It was getting worse. "I really wasn't too worried about the effects of it on my golf game," he said of the surgery. "The most important things were the effect on my lifestyle -- whether I could sleep or not -- and it's worked." When he ultimately decided it was time, Watson told his friend and tour counterpart Andy North. "Andy's had 11 surgeries. He said, 'Watson, when you start feeling good, when you start feeling 100 percent, wait another month before you do anything,' " Watson said. "And that's the mentality I had with this. I could afford to take another month." So now he's sleeping easily, swinging freely and -- despite the time off -- ready to go. He plans to play in around 15 events this season, about the same as he has in recent years. And after nearly four decades as a pro, 39 PGA Tour victories and 12 Champions Tour wins, Watson's competitive spirit remains strong. "I still like to compete, bottom-line," Watson said. "That added pressure that you go out with when you're competing, I like that. And I still like to beat everybody I play against. I still have that nature." Posted Dec 31 2008, 12:00 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tom Watson, Hip Surgery

• Lorena Ochoa Set to Dominate LPGA

  Of all the trophies Lorena Ochoa has collected since her magical hands first touched a golf club, one of her favorite mementos is a photograph taken when she was 12, standing beside a teenager who even then looked like a giant in the game. Her head doesn't quite reach the shoulders of 17-year-old Tiger Woods. They posed in 1993 after Ochoa won her age division for the fourth straight year at the Junior World Golf Championship. They did not see each other again until 2006 at the Golf Writers Association of America dinner in Augusta, Ga., where Ochoa and Woods were honored as players of the year. Woods' eyes lit up when he saw the Mexican phenom, and he wrote an extensive message on the photo before signing it. Now they are linked by more than just a snapshot. As Woods continues to rule his sport, Ochoa has emerged as a force in women's golf and even raising questions about whether she or Woods is the more dominant player. "That's something that's out of my hands," Ochoa said. "That's more the fans and the media point of view. But to be able to put my name next to him is always an honor, and I'm happy with that." Each seemed destined for greatness at an early age. Woods learned the game before he could walk, mesmerized by his father swinging a golf club as Woods sat in a high chair. Ochoa was climbing trees at Guadalajara Country Club when she was 5 and broke both wrists after falling some 15 feet. She was in a cast from her shoulders to her fingers for three months. "They said the doctor gave me magical wrists, some magic in my hand," Ochoa once said. Since setting an NCAA record at Arizona by winning eight straight tournaments as a sophomore, she has hit her stride and is running side-by-side with Woods. Both are No. 1 in the world rankings. Woods skipped the 2008 PGA Tour's first two events in Hawaii, then began his season with an eight-shot victory at Torrey Pines. Ochoa skipped the LPGA Tour's first two events in Hawaii, then made her 2008 debut in Singapore and won by 11 strokes. Woods won four straight times to start the season, extending a streak that began in September. Ochoa also won four straight starts, becoming the first woman in 45 years to win four consecutive events on the schedule. Ochoa has won 21 times since the start of the 2006 season, including two majors. Woods has won 19 times on the PGA TOUR since 2006 with four majors, although he has played two dozen fewer events. What can stop her? "I'd like to believe nothing and nobody," Ochoa said. It was only three years ago that similar comparisons were made between Woods and Sorenstam, who dominated women's golf for five years. Sorenstam won six of her first eight tournaments in 2005, including the first two majors, by wearing down the field with her consistent, precise, robotic play. Ochoa brings far more sizzle, not to mention power, and it shows in how badly she is crushing her competition. Ochoa twice has won tournaments by 11 shots last year. "Everything that she's done has been phenomenal," Brittany Lincicome said. Even more remarkable is a graciousness rarely found in an athlete so ruthless. Ochoa is proud of her heritage and her people, and often goes to the maintenance barn at golf tournaments to visit with the grounds crew, most of whom are Latino. She spent a half-hour with them at the Kraft Nabisco in Palm Desert, Calif., helping them cook breakfast, talking soccer and thanking them for their work. When she closed out the 2007 season with a $1 million payday, Ochoa pledged $100,000 for flood victims in Mexico and set aside a large amount to help build schools for needy children in her town. LPGA officials still rave about last year at the Ginn Tribute, which honored the women who founded the LPGA Tour in 1950. Some of the founders asked for Ochoa's autograph, and only after signing did she go back and ask for theirs. She also had her picture taken with them. "To keep for memories," Ochoa said. No doubt, she will treasure it along with the photo with Woods, both in their own way reminding her of an amazing journey. Posted Dec 31 2008, 12:00 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Lorena Ochoa, LPGA Tour, 2009

• Tiger Woods No.1 Status Under Threat

  Long established as world number one, Tiger Woods runs the risk of being deposed at the top of the rankings in the first quarter of next year. The American has been out of action since having reconstructive knee surgery after winning the U.S. Open in June and, as a bystander, has watched his stranglehold at the top steadily loosen week by week. After his astonishing playoff victory at Torrey Pines six months ago, Woods enjoyed a substantial lead of 11.328 ranking points over second-placed American Phil Mickelson. Spaniard Sergio Garcia has since climbed into second spot in the global pecking order and trails Woods by just 3.865 points going into the New Year. The game’s dominant player is unlikely to return to competitive golf until at least late February and his number one status could be usurped by Garcia, world number three Mickelson or fourth-ranked Irishman Padraig Harrington. For Woods to surrender the grip he has held since June 2005, one of his rivals would have to make a fast start to 2009 while also winning at least one of the big tournaments early on. World ranking points are weighted according to the status of the event and strength of the field and the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson and the WGC-CA Championship in Miami provide rich reward in the first three months. Ian Barker of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) has examined projections of the rankings on a month-by-month basis leading up to the Apr. 9-12 Masters, where Woods is determined to compete. “These projections show how, as time passes, Tiger’s position at the top becomes more vulnerable,” Barker told Reuters. “If you look at the March 29 projection, you will see I have input seven events and the number of points that Garcia and Harrington would need to pass Tiger’s average on that date.” Although Barker is speculating about the playing schedules for Garcia and Harrington, he has assumed the seven events in which each competed during the same period earlier this year. “Sergio needs 81 OWGR points from those events and Harrington needs 144,” Barker said. “A WGC (event) will carry winning points in the 70s so it is possible for both players (to overtake Woods) but I don’t think either could do it without winning a big tournament.” Of course, much will depend on when Woods does return to the game and how effectively he is able to play. The Masters, the opening major of the year, is his first priority for the 2009 season and ideally he would like to play in a couple of events before that in preparation. The Accenture Match Play in Tucson in late February is a possibility for his much anticipated comeback, although the March 12-15 CA Championship is more likely. For the moment, however, the 14-times Major winner can reflect on the record total of 529 weeks he has been golf’s world number one during his career. He first claimed the top spot on June 15, 1997 and has held the position since regaining it from Fiji’s Vijay Singh on June 12, 2005. Posted Dec 31 2008, 11:59 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Sergio Garcia, Tiger Woods, World Ranking

• Tiger's Return the Talking Point for 2009

  While professional golf prepares to confront a bleak economic landscape in 2009, the biggest talking point in the game relates to the timing and immediate impact of Tiger Woods’s comeback from injury. The American world number one has been sidelined since his astonishing U.S. Open victory in June when he defied stabbing knee pain and a double stress fracture of his left tibia to clinch his 14th major title. Although Woods is ahead of schedule in his recovery from reconstructive knee surgery and began hitting full shots two weeks ago, he has no idea when he will return to competitive golf. The U.S. Masters in April is his first priority for the 2009 season and ideally he would like to play in a couple of events before that in preparation. The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson in late February is a possibility for his much anticipated comeback, although the Mar. 12-15 WGC-CA Championship in Miami is more likely. Woods accepts his return to the PGA Tour will depend on the pace of his healing and he has not yet been able to hit full shots with every club in his bag. “I’m really not all that fired up about playing just because I can’t play,” the 32-year-old told reporters after his charity tournament, the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California, was won by Vijay Singh. “I would be embarrassed to go out there and try to play with the guys now. I can’t hit any of the shots that they’re hitting because I haven’t done it. I’ve got to do a lot of work here, and it’ll be an arduous task.” Asked how soon he would be able to make a full swing with his driver, Woods replied: “I don’t know, it’s just the recovery day-to-day. “I don’t know how my legs are going to start recovering, then swinging more full, progressing through the ball, and the ball count. “I think I can handle a full swing now, but I’m not there yet,” the Californian said after presenting Singh with the winner’s trophy and a cheque for $1.35 million at Sherwood Country Club on Sunday. Woods has been sorely missed from golf’s biggest events over the last six months, his conspicuous absence sharply reflected on the PGA Tour by plummeting television ratings. “Tiger brings viewers in droves to the telecast so his absence had a negative impact,” Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem told reporters at the Chevron World Challenge. “You can also see some softness in tournaments where he typically plays in the galleries, but not significant. “But I could write a script that, from the interest of competition, we are going to have a great year (in 2009). You guys (the media) are all going to participate in the coming back of Tiger, (speculating) can he play and can he have stamina.” For the moment, though, Woods is looking forward to spending the rest of the year at home in Florida with his wife Elin and their 18-month-old daughter Sam Alexis. Their second child is due in February. “I’m just going to go home and celebrate Christmas with Sam and just kind of hang out at home,” he said. “Then I will just gradually start building back into the game. It’s going to take a little bit of time but I’m really looking forward to it.” Posted Dec 23 2008, 08:08 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods

• Lin Over the Moon with Masters Place

  Lin Wen-tang was over the moon after becoming the first Chinese Taipei player in 20 years to earn a place in the prestigious Masters Tournament which will take place next April. The Asian Tour standout moved up to 49th position on the final Official World Golf Ranking following his tied sixth finish at the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia in Bangkok to seal his maiden Major appearance. “I’m very happy. My friends told me that the last Chinese Taipei golfer to play at the Masters was over 20 years ago and I’m glad that I have earned my place. I’ve watched the Masters on TV for so many years, especially when I was growing up and I’ve always been in awe of Augusta National Golf Club. The greens are very undulating and I am looking forward to playing at the golf course,” said Lin. Chen Tze-chung, better known as T.C. Chen, was the last player from Chinese Taipei to feature at the Masters in 1989. A total of six players from Chinese Taipei, including Asian greats Hsieh Min-nan, Lu Liang-huan and Chen Ching-po, who played in six Masters, have competed in the year’s opening Major with T.C. posting the best performance with a tied 12th outing in 1987. Lin’s rise into the world’s top-50 was due to his career-best year on the Asian Tour where he finished second on the Order of Merit behind India’s number one Jeev Milkha Singh, who will also play in his third Masters after ending the season in 35th place on the world rankings. The 34-year-old Lin won twice, including the UBS Hong Kong Open last month, and posted seven other top-10s to earn US$844,735, only surpassed by Singh’s new earnings record of US$1.45 million. Lin will certainly speak to Chen about the Masters over the coming months. “TC was my hero when I was growing up. My wife doesn’t quite like me going to America but I’m sure she won’t mind me going to the Masters,” said Lin, who has made attempts at the US PGA Tour qualifying school in the past. “I’ve had a very good year. I have played on the Asian Tour for such a long time now but this year, it all clicked. Asian golf has a very high standard and there are so many players who can win tournaments. But this year, I had a good feeling and I was lucky to win twice,” said Lin. He hopes that his Masters appearance will rejuvenate professional golf in Chinese Taipei, which hosts only one Asian Tour event compared to three regular events previously. “Not many sponsors are supporting professional golf in Taipei. But even with me playing at the Masters next year, I don’t think it will spark great interest in the game. Maybe if I win the Masters, then it will change!” said Lin. “We need hope for the ROC PGA to do some thing for the local golf scene. I will try my best.” Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han commended Lin for his great season. “Lin deserves his place in the world’s top-50. He’s enjoyed a terrific season with those two victories and I’m sure he will perform well at the Masters. Like Jeev, he will be a fine ambassador for the Asian Tour at Augusta National,” said Han. While Lin was ecstatic with his Masters appearance, there was heartbreak for Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, who slipped from 49th to 52nd place in the world rankings. Prayad, who played in his first Masters this year but withdrew in the second round with injury, was knocked out from the top-50 by Richard Sterne and Rory McIlroy who finished first and joint third respectively at the South African Open while Prayad finished equal 12th in Bangkok. Posted Dec 23 2008, 08:07 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Lin Wen-tang, Chen Tze-chung, T.C. Chen

• Richard Sterne Wins Again in a Playoff

  Richard Sterne claimed his second successive tournament victory on home soil when he edged out Britain’s Gareth Maybin in a playoff to win the South Africa Open on Sunday. Sterne, who won last week’s Dunhill Championship in Malelane, finished level with Maybin on 14 under par and birdied the first extra hole to become the event’s eighth consecutive home winner. “It’s a dream come true,” said Sterne after winning his fifth European Tour victory and third of 2008, following success in the Johannesburg Open in January. “I was pretty confident playing the first again because I’d birdied it twice before so I had a good feeling for it,” Sterne told reporters. The 26-year-old Sterne became the first player to win the Open and the Dunhill Championship in one season and earned himself a spot in the 2009 Masters at Augusta. Maybin, 28, was disappointed to have lost when he was so close to his maiden European Tour victory but was proud to have held his own. “It was fun to play in the last group and play with Lee (Westwood),” he said. “He played really good golf. Obviously it all came up just a little short but, all in all, I’m very happy with myself and the way I held up.” Overnight leader Westwood knocked himself out of the early running with four bogeys before the turn but the Briton fought back to finish on 13 under for a share of third place. Also in third were fellow Briton Rory McIlroy (70) and South African Ernie Els who carded a 64 after a 77 on Saturday. Posted Dec 22 2008, 09:35 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Richard Sterne, 2008, South Africa Open, Gareth Maybin

• Late Birdies Seal Win for Vijay Singh

  Age is starting to creep up on Vijay Singh, who turns 46 in February and spent the last three months taking the longest break of his life to let nagging injuries heal. But against a world-class field Sunday at the Chevron World Challenge, Singh looked as good as new. With three straight birdies early on the back nine to get into contention and a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole, Singh closed with a 5-under 67 for a one-shot victory over Steve Stricker to finish off the most lucrative season of his career. “When I show up and I know I can’t win the golf tournament, I’m going to quit,” Singh said. “But as long as I show up and know that I can win, I’m going to keep playing.” Stricker came up short of the 18th green and had to scramble for par, closing with a 68 to earn $840,000, his biggest check this year. Singh virtually vanished after capturing the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus on Sept. 28 at the Tour Championship. He went an entire month without hitting balls to rest a left arm wracked with tendinitis—“I haven’t done that in forever,” he said—and only began practicing for the Father-Son Championship earlier this month. Age doesn’t stop him. Neither does rust. Making it even more challenging, Singh showed up at Sherwood Country Club with a new driver. But he kept the ball in play on the weekend, the key around this course, and played the par 5s in 9 under during his 67-67 weekend. Singh won $1.35 million and pushed his earnings for the year to over $18 million. That includes the $10 million bonus from the FedEx Cup, along with $6.6 million on the PGA Tour to win the money title for the third time in six years. “Very unexpected,” said Singh, who finished at 11-under 277 to win Tiger Woods’ charity event for the first time. “I was just hanging in there. I figured if I shot 67 or 68, I would be right there with a chance.” Anthony Kim, the 54-hole leader, and Jim Furyk did their own charity work on a splendid afternoon of sunshine. Kim was one shot out of the lead until making consecutive double bogeys, driving into the bushes on the 14th and hitting his 7-iron short and into the water on the par-3 15th. He birdied the next two holes, but by then it was over. Kim closed with a 73 and tied for third with Hunter Mahan, who shot 68. Furyk, playing for the first time since the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda on Oct. 15, built a two-shot lead on the front nine until a pair of three-putt bogeys. He was tied with Singh after a 6-foot birdie on the 13th, and still only one shot behind from the middle of the fairway on the par-5 16th when it all came undone. He twice went into the rough and made bogey on the 16th, missing the par-3 17th green to drop another shot and with the tournament already decided, found the water on the 18th hole for the second straight day to make double bogey. Furyk wound up dropping five shots over the final five holes for a 74 and tied for fifth with Camilo Villegas (73). Ben Curtis was the only other player in the 16-man field to finish under par. Singh’s fortunes began turning on the par-4 sixth hole, where he had made bogey each of the first three rounds. He answered with a birdie in the final round, and when Furyk three-putted from long range in group behind, the Fijian was back in the game. “That got me all fired up,” Singh said. “I played solidly. And the putter started working when it got inside 8 to 10 feet.” That was the range for his three straight birdies that put him in the lead, the biggest birdie of all on the 18th hole. He made small talk with Woods as they waited for the final group to finish, and Singh jokingly told Woods at the trophy presentation, “Don’t come back too soon. Take another year off.” Even with Woods at full strength, Singh has been up for the challenge. The big Fijian has won 23 times since turning 40, and his 34 career victories on the PGA Tour are the most by a foreign-born player. He points to Kenny Perry winning three times this year while turning 48, and Fred Funk winning in Mexico at age 50. “Winning this many tournaments doesn’t mean it’s a miracle,” he said. “I think there will be guys out there that are going to do the same thing. It’s just how many they’re going to win. Right now, I’m the leader, and I’m not quitting yet.” The Chevron World Challenge doesn’t count, but it felt like a victory considering the elite gathering. And it came at a good time for Singh, who starts the 2009 season in three weeks at Kapalua. The sure sign that Singh is ready to get back to work? He plans to practice on Christmas Day. “It’s the best time to hit balls,” he said. “There’s nobody on the golf course.” Posted Dec 22 2008, 09:34 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Vijay Singh, 2008, Chevron World Challenge

• Fifteen Qualify for 2009 Masters

  The final official shot of 2008 was a tap-in birdie by Richard Sterne to win the South African Open in a playoff, capping his unlikely climb in the world rankings to be among 15 players Sunday earning a Masters invitation. Three players on two continents made one final push for the top 50 in the rankings to make the trip to Augusta National. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tied for third at the South African Open and will move up to No. 39, while Lin Wen-Tang of Taiwan tied for sixth in the Volvo Masters on the Asian Tour and will be No. 49. Augusta National since 2000 has invited the top 50 in the rankings at the end of the calendar year. With no more official tournaments remaining, the final 2008 rankings were determined Sunday. The 15 players not otherwise eligible except for their top-50 ranking were Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher, Luke Donald, Shingo Kayatama, Graeme McDowell, Rory Sabbatini, Jeev Milkha Singh, Aaron Baddeley, McIlroy, Oliver Wilson, Sterne, Soren Hansen, Tang and Soren Kjeldsen. Along with other criteria, that puts the Masters field at 88 players who are expected to compete April 10-13. Among those still not eligible are Woody Austin, Scott Verplank, Davis Love III and J.B. Holmes, the only Ryder Cup player who could miss the first major of the year. Augusta National has the smallest field of the four majors, and it most likely will get larger. Players still can qualify by winning one of 13 PGA Tour events leading to the Masters, or by getting into the top 50 in the rankings published a week before the Masters. The Masters has not had more than 100 competitors since 1966. No one made a bigger move than Sterne, who was ranked No. 113 two weeks ago. But he won the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the South African Open in consecutive weeks to move up 70 spots to No. 43. Lin also was out of the top 100 in early November but began his move by winning the Hong Kong Open and securing his place with a tie for sixth in the Volvo Masters. Posted Dec 22 2008, 09:33 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Justin Rose, Richard Sterne, Soren Hansen, Rory Sabbatini, Martin Kaymer, Aaron Baddeley, Luke Donald, Jeev Milkha Singh, Masters Champion, 2009, Oliver Wilson, Ross Fisher, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, McIlroy, Shingo Kayatama, Sterne

• PGA Tour Tooking to Tighten Belts

  Although the PGA Tour is fully sponsored for next year, Commissioner Tim Finchem says plans have been made for replacements if any openings are triggered by the global financial crisis. Turmoil in the auto and financial services sectors has left the sport vulnerable to the loss of marketing and advertising dollars, and 11 of the Tour’s title sponsors come from the financial sector. “It would be imprudent for us just to assume that everything is going to be fine and dandy in this environment,” Finchem told Reuters during Saturday’s third round of the Chevron World Challenge. “We have to assume that we are going to take some hits and that we’re going to have some turnover. “In preparation for that possibility, we are talking to a range of companies in other industry sectors. It’s a tough environment out there and very few companies are untouched by this downturn. “But we are making some progress in identifying companies that want to be involved with charity, want to be involved in golf and want to take advantage of the platform. We’ll just have to see how it goes.” The PGA Tour is highly dependent on corporate sponsors such as General Motors Corp and Wachovia Corp to support its tournaments. GM has warned it is running short of cash while Wachovia is being acquired by Wells Fargo & Co. Last month, GM’s Buick brand ended its endorsement deal worth an estimated $8 million annually with Woods one year early in a move to cut costs. On Friday, GM and Chrysler were beneficiaries of a $17.4 billion bailout by the U.S. government. GM is the title sponsor of two PGA Tour events, the Buick Open and Buick Invitational. Both tournaments are on the schedule for 2009 and their contracts run through 2010. “Hopefully, the work we are putting in now will pay us some dividends when we get further down the road and see what our fallout is going to be here,” Finchem said. “Our goal is to come out of this stronger than when we go in and that means if we have to replace a company, we replace it with an even stronger, more focused and more dedicated sponsor.” In a bid to enhance existing sponsorships, Finchem has sent a video to Tour players and their managers asking them to consider adding tournaments to their schedules and to reach out to sponsors on site. “There’s always some detail at every golf tournament that can be done better, whether it’s the Masters or any other tournament,” Finchem told reporters on Saturday. “I think the players are doing a great job, and I think the reason we have been 100 percent sponsored the last 15-18 years is because of the players.” Although other major U.S. sports organisations have laid off staff because of the economic recession, Finchem said the PGA Tour remained unaffected. “Layoffs we have been able to avoid to date,” he added. “We have reduced our cost structure in an aggressive way across the board. “Our strategy is to look carefully at people and if there is an opportunity here or an opportunity there to combine jobs, we will do. But we’re not going to take a let’s cut 10 percent of our work force attitude.” Posted Dec 22 2008, 09:32 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tim Finchem

• Jim Furyk Leads with Opening Round of 68

  In what amounts to a one-week break from his four-month vacation, Jim Furyk surprised himself Thursday with a 4-under 68 that gave him a two-shot lead after the first round of the Chevron World Challenge. Furyk has not played a competitive round since winning the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda on Oct. 15. After this week, he won’t play again until beginning his 2009 season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “The goal was obviously to come in and play well and try to win the golf tournament,” Furyk said, “but as little as I’ve been playing, I wanted to just kind of get my feet wet and little by little, chip away and try to put a good round together.” The entire 16-man field got its feet wet at Sherwood Country Club, which was soggy from a week of cold rain. Furyk was the only player to break 70 in the opening round, and stranger still was that he failed to birdie any of the five par 5s. But he was the only player to birdie the tough 18th, giving him a two-shot lead over Boo Weekley and K.J. Choi. Tiger Woods was reduced to his role as tournament host, tucked away in the Sherwood clubhouse in meetings as his guests tried to keep mud off the ball and navigate their way around canyons and creeks in chilly temperatures. Weekley was walking up the 11th fairway when he pulled up the bottom of his rain pants to reveal camouflage thermals to keep warm. He was heating up nicely until running into trouble on the par-5 16th, where he hit a fairway metal for his fourth shot and escaped with bogey. Choi was flawless on the greens while working with a new caddie—Michael “Sponge” Waite, who worked for Michael Campbell when he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Choi plans to use two caddies next year as his regular looper, Andy Prodger, takes time off. The bizarre round belonged to Mike Weir, who offset his lone bogey with an eagle on the par-5 13th. It was a solid round of golf over 16 holes, but it was the two at the turn that sent him to the bottom of the pack—a triple bogey on the par-3 eighth hole, followed by a quadruple-bogey 8 on the next hole. He wound up with a 78, tied for last with fellow Canadian Stephen Ames. Ryder Cup teammates Steve Stricker, Anthony Kim and Hunter Mahan were among those at 71, with Kim the most thrilled. He hasn’t played since he was disqualified from the second round of the HSBC Champions in China in early November. “It was all rust,” he said. “I hit two shots that I’ve never hit in my life on 16 and 18. My go-to shot is a cut—the ball would not go right when I was setting up to the left.” One of them was left of the bunkers on the par-5 16th, going into the hazard and leading to a bogey. The other tee shot on the closing hole was so far off that it landed between generators. “I’m very happy to break 80 today,” Kim said. “I told a couple of my buddies that breaking 80 was the goal today. So even though I bogeyed the 18th, I’m pretty happy.” Furyk was pleased, no doubt, but also wary. Most players arrived at Sherwood with a fair amount of rust, and the scores tend to get better as the week goes on. “I think I see more 64s and 65s in this tournament probably in the second, third and fourth rounds than you do the first round,” Furyk said. “That being said, my best round is always in the first round.” Furyk didn’t play golf for six weeks except for the odd corporate outing, spending most of his time going to Ohio State and Pittsburgh Steelers football games, and coaching his 5-year-old son’s basketball team. He tried to work in shape for this tournament, even with another big break on the other side. “I felt like I needed to bridge the gap—play here and then take another seven weeks or so off,” he said. “I just felt like the longer you wait, the more time it’s going to take to get back. I also have pride. To just come out here and slap it around and shoot 78 every day and collect a check isn’t fair to the sponsor and it’s not fair to the tournament.” Posted Dec 19 2008, 07:34 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Boo Weekley, Steve Stricker, 2008, Mike Weir, Hunter Mahan, Jim Furyk, Anthony Kim, K.J. Choi, Chevron World Challenge

• Unknown Fabrizio Zanotti Leads with a 64

  Little-known Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay was the surprise leader after the South African Open first round on Thursday. Zanotti fired an eight-under-par 64 to open a one-stroke advantage over Swede Oskar Henningsson at Pearl Valley Golf Estates on the Western Cape. Four-times winner Ernie Els opened with a 67 while fellow South African James Kingston, the holder, returned a 72. World number eight Henrik Stenson of Sweden shot a 70. “This was pretty close to perfect,” Zanotti told reporters at the European Tour event. “The long game and chipping was good today.” The 25-year-old picked up four birdies in five holes from the third and atoned for a bogey at the 10th with another sparkling run of five birdies in eight holes from the 11th. Zanotti’s tee shot at the 386-yard 10th splashed into a fairway bunker and left him with a terrible lie. “I could just move it out of there,” he said. “I chipped on to the green but I couldn’t make par. “It was my only bad hole today, the rest was very calm and relaxed. It’s like being in my home country but it’s probably a little hotter in Paraguay right now.” Henningsson chalked up nine birdies as the European Tour qualifying school winner carded a 65. Sharing third spot on 66 were South Africans Rory Sabbatini, Keith Horne and Jaco Van Zyl, British quartet Ross McGowan, Lee Westwood, Richie Ramsay and Gareth Maybin and Swede Ake Nilsson. Ryder Cup stalwart Westwood said: “It was fairly wind-less out there. Jack Nicklaus designed this course to be played conservatively but it left us some holes to attack. “It was pretty easy to do today but the wind will definitely get up over the next three days and then it will get interesting.” Sabbatini, looking to continue South Africa’s good record at the world’s second oldest Open, delivered an unblemished scorecard containing six birdies. “The wind was out early and died off,” he said. “All things considered it was a great day. “The course is in great condition and really prepared and set up nicely. There are some low scores out there if you can control the golf ball.” Posted Dec 19 2008, 07:33 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, 2008, South African Open, Fabrizio Zanotti

• Lam Roars into Volvo Masters Lead

  Singaporean Lam Chih Bing powered into a two-stroke halfway lead at the US$750,000 Volvo Masters of Asia on Friday to give himself a shot at winning his maiden Asian Tour title. The in-form Lam carded a six-under-par 66 at a sun-kissed Thai Country Club to lead from Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat (66), Filipino Antonio Lascuna (67) and Australian duo Mitchell Brown (67) and Marcus Both (68). Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang, second on the Order of Merit, battled to a 70 to stay three shots off the pace alongside Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand (67) while title holder Prayad Marksaeng revived his challenge with a best-of-the-week 65 to lie a further stroke back in the Asian Tour’s season-ending tournament. Since earning his full Tour card for 2009 following a tied 18th place at the cash-rich Barclays Singapore Open last month, Lam has played some of his best golf and also finished runner-up in Cambodia last weekend. “Just being here this week, I’ve already achieved my goal for the year. I’m very happy to be here and whatever happens will be a bonus,” said Lam, who holds a two-day total of nine-under-par 135. Lam was often regarded as an underachiever despite his enormous talent but a switch to the short putter two months ago and fatherhood seem to have revived his flagging career. He played in the last group of the final round in Singapore alongside world number three Phil Mickelson and despite falling off the leaderboard, he said the experience was priceless. “I’ve made more putts. The first week that I switched back to the short putter was at an Asean Tour event and I won it. Then at the following week, I played well in the Barclays Singapore Open and started playing well ever since,” said Lam. “After Singapore, knowing that I’ve kept my card, it’s become so much easier to play out here. It was a big monkey off my back. I can pretty much freewheel it now. I didn’t get it done on the last day in Singapore but to know that I could actually match some of the best players in the world gave me a lot of confidence.” Big-hitting Chapchai will also be eager to prove his doubters wrong at the Volvo Masters of Asia, which is restricted to the top-65 players on the Asian Tour, as he had led into the final round in Singapore before falling off the leaderboard. “It is a mental game. I learnt a lot from Singapore. Right now, my game is okay - I am in good form. And hopefully I can control my mind and my emotions better than I did in Singapore,” said the Thai. Like Lam, Chapchai switched back to an old putter for the second round and it rewarded him with seven birdies. “The putter has a softer face – I stopped using it two months ago. It helped me today,” added the two-time Asian Tour winner. Both was relishing the opportunity of challenging for the Volvo Masters of Asia again as he was also in contention here three years ago. “This is a great tournament. We have the best of the best here and it is good to measure yourself against the other guys,” said Both, whose lone victory in the region was at the 2004 Sanya Open in China. “I was in contention here three years ago. It is one of those courses that fits my eye. But you have to execute as well and I have not been doing that well in the last couple of years. I hit two bad tee shots on nine and 18 and was punished for them with a double bogey and a bogey. I am going to have to hit some pretty good numbers on the weekend to win.” Defending champion Prayad revived his title hopes with a sparkling round that included an eagle and five birdies. The Thai star, winner of three events in Japan this year, had opened his campaign with a disappointing 74 on Thursday but hit top form to stay within striking distance of Lam. “I was not too worried about shooting a 74 yesterday. I knew I would be out early this morning and I thought I could play well. That is how it turned out,” said Prayad, who needs a good week here to cement his position in the world’s top-50 and earn a place in the US Masters. India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, who has already secured the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit title, improved with a 70 after struggling to a 76 in the opening round while Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, who is chasing a third straight victory, added a 74 to his opening 73. Posted Dec 19 2008, 07:31 by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, 2008, Lam Chih Bing, Volvo Masters of Asia

• Tiger Woods Says He'll Be Back Stronger Than Ever

  Tiger Woods wore sneakers instead of spikes. He sat next to a bottle of Gatorade Tiger, not the silver U.S. Open trophy. One thing that didn’t change at his first press conference in 184 days were questions about his left knee. But after speaking for a half-hour Wednesday at Sherwood Country Club, covering everything from his rehab to his caddie to his improbable victory at Torrey Pines, the most powerful statement about his health and future required no words at all. Does he have any doubts he will be better than before? Woods turned up the bottom of his lip, shook his head three times and mumbled, “Uh-uh,” as if that had never entered his mind. Six months after reconstructive surgery on his left knee to repair a ruptured ligament—his third surgery in six years—Woods said he was right on schedule to return, already hitting short irons and excited about playing on a leg that has never been more stable. “I’ve just been training and trying to get healthy enough to compete next year,” Woods said. “Everything has been right on schedule. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.” The uncertainty is when he will return, and how his leg will respond when he goes through a full practice. His plan was to start hitting balls in January, but he already has been chipping and putting, and taking full swings with small clubs, shots that go no more than 100 yards. “I haven’t hit full shots with my entire bag yet,” Woods said. “As far as coming back, I don’t know. I don’t know how it’s going to respond with repeated practice days and long days of practice trying to get back, and ultimately playing my way into shape. That’s obviously going to take a little bit of time.” He is thankful to be merely the host this week of his Chevron World Challenge—temperatures felt like the upper 30s even before a light rain fell at Sherwood. Woods won last year by seven shots, and this is the fifth time this year he could not defend a title. The last meaningful shot he took was a tap-in for par on the 19th hole in a Monday playoff at the U.S. Open, a victory that even Woods finds hard to believe. He played that week with the torn ligament and a double stress fracture, and spoke about a left knee with so much swelling at night that he couldn’t see his kneecap. “As I’ve progressed through my shorter clubs, hitting fuller shots, you remember what it was like when you hit a full shot,” he said. “And for me, the last time I really hit a full shot was at the Open. It didn’t feel very good.” In the few shots he has taken over the past few weeks, the leg has felt better than ever. Woods said he has tried not to snap his left leg at impact over the last couple of years, but his knee ligaments wouldn’t allow for it. When he had surgery at the end of the 2002 season to drain fluid and clean out cartilage, he said doctors told him he only had about 20 percent of his anterior cruciate ligament left. “The fact I made it this far was amazing without rupturing it,” he said. He made adjustments to compensate, and now is remembering what it was like to have two good legs. “Right now, it feels great to have that stability in the leg,” he said. “It feels stronger, more stable. It’s not sliding all over the place. My bones aren’t moving. Things that I was dealing with, I don’t feel that anymore. I’m actually stronger in my legs than I think I’ve ever been.” Even so, he remains cautious about the ligament regaining full strength. That’s what makes the timing of his return uncertain. Woods had surgery a week after the U.S. Open, missing the final two majors won by Padraig Harrington, a Ryder Cup that produced a rare U.S. victory, and the emergence of Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas as potential challengers when he returns. He missed the competition, but saw plenty of benefits from the time away. “On one level, it’s been absolutely something I’d never want to do again,” Woods said. “And the on another part, it’s been just the greatest time in the world. Training every day, it’s been a little rough at times, but getting through it. But being able to spend time at home with Sam and watch her grow, it’s something I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do.” Woods turns 33 at the end of the month, already with 14 majors and 65 victories on the PGA Tour. He is closing in on the hallowed mark of Jack Nicklaus—18 professional majors, the one record Woods cares about—and 2009 sets up well for him. Along with the Masters, the U.S. Open returns to Bethpage Black, where Woods won in 2002, and he was runner-up by one shot at Hazeltine, site of next year’s PGA Championship. He has been saying for years that he will walk away when his best isn’t good enough to win. But his longest break from golf might have given him a glimpse of what it’s like to stop playing. “I don’t want to play when I know I can’t play at this level, at the highest of levels,” he said. “If you wanted me to go out there and play right now, I couldn’t stand to go out there and not be able to fully compete against these guys and not really give them a run for their money. I couldn’t handle that part of it. “That definitely gave me a better appreciation for my future and leaving the game of golf competitively,” he said. “As far as trying to make money off my buddies, I will always do that. But as far as competing at the highest of levels, yeah, I have a better appreciation for when that day comes.” Retirement can wait. Woods now is occupied only with playing again. Posted Dec 18 2008, 12:56 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, Knee Injury

• Ernie Els Looking for a Home Victory

  The locals are desperate to avoid a foreign winner of this week’s South African Open, according to world number nine Ernie Els. “This is our national tournament and we’re really, really proud of it,” Els told a news conference at Pearl Valley Golf Estates on Wednesday. “We South African golfers just love our sport. “The international players put a great edge on it but we don’t want any foreigner coming over here and taking our national title, to put it bluntly. “I think the local guys will really pick up their game this week, seeing the world-class line-up.” Els was pleased a strong international lineup had been assembled including world number eight Henrik Stenson, British quartet Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy and American Len Mattiace. South African hopes will be pinned on Els, U.S. Masters champion Trevor Immelman, double U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen, holder James Kingston, Rory Sabbatini, and Tim Clark and Richard Sterne, who won last week’s Australian Open and Dunhill Championship respectively. “The international players bring a lot of depth to the field,” said four-times winner Els. “It’s also great to see players like Rory Sabbatini and Tim Clark coming back. “This is a world-class facility that compares to the very best.” Aside from a social round in Florida, Els took to the course for the first time in three weeks when he played nine holes on the Western Cape on Tuesday. After 18 holes in the pro-am on Wednesday, he said he had a much better mindset coming into this year’s tournament. “I was not in a good mental place last year after I lost the Dunhill (with a triple bogey at the final hole),” he said. “I was pretty miserable and I should have skipped the tournament. “But I just can’t miss the SA Open. It really all goes back to 1992 for me,” Els said of the first of his four victories at Houghton in Johannesburg. “It really launched my career, opened doors for me around the world.” Stenson, who triumphed at the Sun City Challenge two weeks ago, praised the par-72 Jack Nicklaus-designed layuout. “It’s a very good course but it’s going to be a tough week,” said the Swede. “There are lots of options off the tees and a lot of wind. “It will be tough if it keeps blowing like this but I’m looking forward to the final four rounds of the year.” Posted Dec 18 2008, 12:55 PM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Ernie Els, 2008, South African Open