Golf International Magazine Online

September 2009 - Posts

• Arnold Palmer returns Bay Hill to a par 72

  As the proud owner at Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer doesn’t want to see PGA Tour players light up the scoreboard. As one of the game’s great entertainers, Palmer also appreciates that the fans like to see birdies. Tiger & Arnie at Bay Hill Picture © Getty Images Entertainment won this round. Bay Hill will return to being a par 72 for the Arnold Palmer Invitational after the tournament host reluctantly agreed that fans would rather see players score below par, and that a par 5 on the finishing holes could make the PGA Tour event more exciting. The club switched to a par 70 the last three years by converting two par 5s into par 4s, including the 16th hole, which often is pivotal in deciding the tournament. “We’re going to go with four par 4s again, with the thinking that the galleries and the people enjoy seeing players make birdies,” Palmer said Tuesday. “We going to give them an opportunity to make birdies.” The fourth hole also will be changed back to a par 5. Palmer believes the course still will be challenging enough when Tiger Woods returns in the final week of March to defend his title. Bay Hill recently reopened after extensive renovations to the bunkering—some were reshaped and moved, others added—along with a new strain of Bermuda grass on the greens and moderate lengthening. The course played at 7,162 yards as a par 70. Palmer said it would be about 7,400 yards as a par 72. Besides having new grass, severe contours on some of the greens have been softened, which will allow the PGA Tour field staff to find as many as eight potential hole locations. Palmer also has a new tee at No. 15 that is across the road, although he doubts that will be used because of congestion. The 18th tee also has been moved back, although only about 10 yards. The white sand in the bunkers is fluffy, making it difficult to hit a clean shot from fairway traps and reach the green. Palmer said a machine that tamps the sand around the edges will reduce the likelihood of a ball plugging. Even so, the most welcome change is the 16th, which returns to a par 5 even at a short 511 yards. It will be the shortest of the par 5s, with bunkers on each side of the fairway and a stream cutting in front of the green. Palmer expects to see plenty of birdies, which is not necessarily a bad thing. “There’s a risk-reward situation there,” he said. “It’s still going to be short for the pros. The fact is, it will be kind of fun. If a guy is coming down the stretch needing a two-shot swing and hits it on that green and makes eagle, or a guy who has a two-shot lead hits a flaw on his second shot, those two shots disappear quickly. “Based on that argument, I relinquished and went to the par 5.” Posted Sep 30 2009, 06:37 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Arnold Palmer, Bay Hill, 2009

• Phil Mickelson to Play Singapore Open

  Two-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson will play in next month’s Singapore Open. Organizers say that Mickelson, who won the Tour Championship event last weekend by three shots over Tiger Woods, will join other major winners Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els in the $5 million tournament that starts Oct. 29. Els finished second last year to India’s Jeev Milkha Singh. Mickelson, who finished ninth last year, will make his third appearance in the tournament. The Singapore Open, co-sanctioned by the Asian and European tours, will be the first of two tournaments the No. 2-ranked Mickelson will play in Asia in two weeks. He will join Woods at the World Golf Championship event in Shanghai, China, the following week. Posted Sep 30 2009, 06:36 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Phil Mickelson, 2009, Singapore Open

• Ryder Cup Causing Scheduling Problems

  Tiger Woods played so much golf during the FedEx Cup playoffs that he is laying off cardio work this week with hopes of putting on some weight he lost over the last month Just wait until next year, with a trip to Wales for the Ryder Cup right after the Tour Championship. PGA Tour officials spent the last couple of weeks gathering input from players on the playoff schedule for next year, and it looks at though it has come down to two options: — Keep the schedule the way it was this year. That would mean three playoff events (New York, Boston, Chicago), followed by a week off, then the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup. — Take a week off after the Labor Day finish at Boston, then go three straight weeks concluding with the Ryder Cup. “If television is accommodating, we could go either way,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. A small sample of potential Ryder Cup players showed mixed opinions. Hunter Mahan would like to see the break after Boston, noting that the Ryder Cup doesn’t start until Friday, anyway. Luke Donald of England said he was so wiped out after a third straight week of golf in Chicago that he put the clubs away for longer than usual. “Any way you slice it, it’s a difficult stretch,” Steve Stricker said. “It’s a long stretch, and you’ve got to be physically and mentally ready for it.” Woods said he was inclined to leave it the way it is for 2010, especially because of the overnight flight required to get to Wales. He believes the American team would not be fresh for the high level of intensity that accompanies the Ryder Cup. “Granted, we could have the Europeans play in this thing and wear them out, too,” he said. Donald and Padraig Harrington were the only Europeans who reached the 30-man field at the Tour Championship this year, and both recommended a week off before the Tour Championship in Ryder Cup years, and a week off after the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston in other years. The other component is television. NBC Sports televises the last three FedEx Cup events, and it also has Notre Dame home football games. The Irish are home against Michigan next year on Sept. 11, which would be the Saturday of the BMW Championship. The Irish are on the road the following week, when the tour typically takes its break. Posted Sep 30 2009, 06:35 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Ryder Cup, FedEx Cup

• Arnold Palmer to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

  Arnold Palmer is going back to the White House to meet another president and collect another medal. ARNOLD PALMER  Picture © Getty Images Palmer said Tuesday that he has been selected to receive a Congressional Gold Medal, an honor that has been around since the American Revolution and recognizes distinguished achievements and contributions. Beyond his seven major championships, Palmer used his charisma and hard-charging style to make an elite sport popular with the masses. In golf circles, he is known simply as “The King.” Palmer was scheduled to go to the White House on Wednesday, where President Barack Obama was to sign the Arnold Palmer Gold Medal Act. The golfing great also received the National Sports Award from former President Bill Clinton in 1993, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President George W. Bush in 2004. Palmer is the second golfer to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, which must be co-sponsored by two-thirds of the House and Senate. Byron Nelson received the medal short after his death in 2006. The medal has been presented 141 times, the first one to George Washington in 1776. “I didn’t know George Washington,” Palmer said with a grin. “But if I did, I would shake his hand and say, ‘You’re the first, and I won’t be the last.”’ The medal caps a big month for Palmer, who turned 80 on Sept. 10 and had a birthday party that stretched out over two weeks. Among the festivities was throwing out the first pitch at a Pittsburgh Pirates game. “I threw an 80 mph fastball right down the center of the plate,” Palmer said. “And they took me out.” Posted Sep 30 2009, 06:34 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Arnold Palmer, Congressional Gold Medal

• Ken Green Hopeful of 2010 Comeback

  Ken Green has overcome depression, financial troubles and a bad back. He doesn’t plan on letting the loss of a leg keep him off the Champions Tour. KEN GREEN  Picture © Getty Images The pro golfer had his lower right leg amputated after an accident in June that killed his brother and girlfriend. He said Monday that he hopes to be back on the tour by April. “It’s probably not realistic, July might be better,” Green told The Associated Press. “But I don’t know, I’ve never done this before. The question is, can I get back to the highest level? Our level and just golf are two different worlds.” The five-time winner on the PGA Tour was in his hometown, where pros including Fred Funk, Curtis Strange, Mark Calcavecchia and Phil Blackmar played at the Ridgewood Country Club to help raise money to pay some of his medical and personal expenses. They expect the event will bring in about $150,000, and plan a similar fundraiser in Florida in November. Green was with his brother Billy, his girlfriend Jeannie Hodgin, and his dog Nip on June 8, when the RV his brother was driving blew a tire and went off Interstate 20 near Hickory, Miss, hitting a tree. Ken Green was the only survivor. Green says he doesn’t remember the accident, just waking up in the hospital. He said the doctors told him they might be able save his leg, but that it would never function properly. “I told them to cut it off, because that was my only chance,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to swing properly with that leg the way it was.” Green’s sister, Shelley White, has been with him since the accident. She said he has been focused on golf almost since the moment he woke up. Green, who is being fitted with a special prosthetic that includes an ankle that will pivot, had hoped to be able to play a few holes on Monday, but said the pain in his leg would not allow it. “He has no patience,” White said. “He wants everything to happen at once.” Green said this isn’t the toughest thing he’s ever been through. After gaining a reputation as one of the most outspoken golfers on the PGA tour, he went through a bout with depression in the 1990s, which combined with a back injury almost cost him his golf career. He lost his Tour card in 2000, and said he made no money between 2005 and 2008, the year he turned 50 and became eligible for the Champions Tour. He was 54th on the money list with $123,906 in 11 appearances at the time of the accident. “When I was fighting through my depression, that, I believe was harder, because I didn’t know I was in it,” he said. “Whereas this one, you know what you have to tackle. You have to get your leg, then you have to go change your swing, and then you have to go start playing like a pro again.” Calcavecchia, a longtime friend, said he’s among those who believe Green can make it all the way back. “This is going to have a happy ending for sure,” Calcavecchia said. “Even if he doesn’t get back to the level he wants to. He just wants to play golf. And if he does reach his goal—beating some guys on Champions Tour—well, he knows he’s going to make history if he does that.” Green acknowledges that he lost a lot in the accident, but said he’s never been one to ask, “Why me?” “Obviously, I lost three of my best friends and I think I’d be doing them a dishonor if I didn’t come back from this,” he said. “Just ‘cause I lost a leg, you have to say, ‘OK, we’ll work around that.”’   Posted Sep 29 2009, 08:09 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Ken Green

• Tiger Woods Energized by Presidents Cup

  Tiger Woods, fresh from his $10-million pay day for winning the FedExCup, said he was energised by the mix of younger players in the U.S. squad for next month’s Presidents Cup. TIGER WOODS Picture © Getty Images Woods, who missed last year’s Ryder Cup recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, said on Monday that the Americans were switching to a new generation for team golf. “I certainly wish I could have been a part of that team last year,” Woods, 33, said about the U.S. ending a nine-year Ryder Cup drought against Europe with a team including six rookies. “There was a different kind of chemistry last year. We had a mix of older players and some younger guys in their 20s,” he told a news conference promoting his foundation’s World Challenge tournament in December. “Over the years, usually I’ve been the youngest one.” Woods said the new kind of U.S. team would again be on display against the Internationals in the Presidents Cup matches in San Francisco starting on Oct. 8. “This Presidents Cup is different. Lucas (Glover, the U.S. Open winner) and Sean (O’Hair) and AK (Anthony Kim) and Hunter (Mahan)—it’s a mixed generation of players. “It’s going to be fun to be part of a team that’s young like that, and also we’ve got Kenny (Perry) who is 49 now. I think we’ve got a great mix of players.” Woods, who has played in five Ryder Cup and five Presidents Cup teams, said the mix represented a changing of the guard. “You can see the generation leaving us now, with Freddie (Couples, the U.S. captain) and Davis (Love) not making the teams. “They’re at that age now they’re not going to be part of the teams … so this is another generation of players. So it’s going to be fun to be a part of that.” Woods said he was also curious to see Couples as captain. “I’m looking forward to see how Freddie speaks in front of all of us,” Woods said. “As you know, Freddie starts in one direction and ends in another. It will be interesting to see what kind of tangents he goes on.” The Presidents Cup experience should also be enlivened by the presence of former basketball great Michael Jordan, who will be one of Couples’s assistants. “It will be fun,” Woods said about having golf buddy Jordan around. “I’ve been a part of several Ryder Cup teams where Michael has come and hung out with us a couple nights here and there but he’s never been instrumental and part of the team. “This will be different. A lot of the guys are looking forward to getting to know him. Geez, probably him and Muhammad Ali are the top two greatest athletes that’s ever lived. It will be fun for the entire team to hang out with him.” Posted Sep 29 2009, 08:08 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, FedEx Cup, Presidents Cup, 2009

• FedEx Cup Finally Delivers Exciting Finale

  PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem camped out behind the first tee as the final round of the Tour Championship got under way at East Lake. From any direction, he couldn’t complain about the view.  TIM FINCHEM Picture © Getty Images In front of him was a procession of the game’s top players—Ernie Els, Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson, followed by Tiger Woods in the final pairing with Kenny Perry. Looking down the first fairway, both sides were lined with spectators. “Record crowd for us here,” Finchem said, referring to an estimated crowd of 24,000. It was the most ever for a Sunday ticket at East Lake, and even more impressive considering the Atlanta Falcons game at New England was on TV. And the day only got better. When it was over, Finchem was flanked by golf’s two biggest stars— Mickelson, who closed with a bogey-free 65 to win the Tour Championship; and Woods, who captured the FedEx Cup and eliminated any discussion about the $10 million bonus going to the right guy. PGA Tour officials will huddle over the next month for a post-mortem on the FedEx Cup, although these meetings should be short. The postseason boondoggle delivered everything they could have wanted: Four tournaments in five weeks featuring a world-class collection of players; some of the strongest leaderboards of the year. After a year in which the four major champions were ranked outside the top 30, the final three playoff events were won by players who are Nos. 1-2-3 in the world—Woods, Mickelson and Stricker. Not everyone understood the points system, although it wasn’t hard to figure out who was doing well. Woods didn’t realize until The Barclays that he could have won the first three playoff events and still lost the FedEx Cup. Nor did he realize until the Tour Championship that he could have stayed home and showed up at East Lake as the No. 3 seed. And while Mickelson joked about winning the tournament and getting the smaller check, he knew better. “I didn’t play well the first three FedEx Cup events,” he said. “I don’t deserve to win the entire FedEx Cup just based on one tournament win. It’s got to be based on all four. So the way it worked out so far this year, it seems like it’s just. The best player won. The guy who played the best in all four events won.” The star of the FedEx Cup was Woods. He had the best regular season (five victories), played the best in the playoffs (one victory, two runner-up finishes, his worst performance a tie for 11th), and finished the highest among the top five seeds at the Tour Championship. What made the FedEx Cup interesting—which is all it should aspire to be— was Woods’ supporting cast: — Heath Slocum. The tour kept saying that everyone who made the 125-man field to start the playoffs would have a chance at the $10 million prize. Slocum faced some of the longest odds as the No. 124 seed (by two measly points). He wound up winning The Barclays over Stricker, Woods, Els and Harrington to ensure himself one of the top seeds. Whether that was fair will be among the topics to discuss, maybe even tweaked. But it showed that anything is possible. — Marc Leishman. He was the only rookie at the Tour Championship, and the Australian defined performance under pressure. He needed an eagle on the final hole at the Deutsche Bank Championship to advance to the third round, drilled his approach to about 10 feet and made the putt. A week later, he needed to finish third to make it to East Lake. Playing in the final group with Woods—they had never even met—he went bogey-free in the final round and shot 69 to tie for second. — Brandt Snedeker. One of the most compelling moments of the month was watching Snedeker try to finish off a remarkable rally to get to the Tour Championship, then succumbing to the pressure. That’s when the FedEx Cup looked a lot like Q-school. Knowing a bogey would be enough on the final hole at Cog Hill, his 12-foot par putt ran some 3 feet by the hole. He jabbed at the bogey putt and missed, then missed the next one and took triple bogey to end his FedEx Cup season. The 30th spot instead went to John Senden, who earlier had a 90-yard wedge to the green and chunked it so badly that it didn’t even reach the front bunker. The payoff was huge for Senden. That 30th spot was worth exemptions to three majors next year and $407,500 (prize money and FedEx Cup bonus) at the Tour Championship. — Steve Stricker. His victory at the TPC Boston, where he birdied the last two holes for a one-shot victory, showed the value of the FedEx Cup. The practice range was full of chatter about the PGA Tour player of the year, which is a vote of the players. Stricker had three victories, and the feeling was he might get the vote if he were to win the FedEx Cup. Woods then won the BMW Championship by seven shots for his sixth victory, and that was that. Even then, Woods wound up sharing the spotlight with Mickelson. They finished 1-2 at East Lake—the ninth time in their careers they have done that, with Mickelson a winner in five of those events—and each went home with a big trophy. The FedEx Cup faces one tough encore.   Posted Sep 29 2009, 08:06 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, FedEx Cup, Tim Finchem, 2009, Tour Championship

• Tom Pernice Wins on Champions Tour Debut

  Tom Pernice Jr. became the 15th player to win in his Champions Tour debut, holing a 35-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Nick Price and David Frost in the SAS Championship. TOM PERNICE Picture © Getty Images "You don't expect to hit a 35-footer, especially on the last hole to win," Pernice said. "It was my turn to win, I guess." Pernice, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 13-under 203 on the Prestonwood Country Club course. Frost shot a 67, and Price had a 68. "That was exciting," said Frost, who made a late charge with birdies on three of his last four holes. "I didn't have a good start, but then all of a sudden, it changed. "I birdied seven and eight, and I made a bunch of putts on the back nine. I can't be too disappointed." Price, who birdied three of his last five holes, and Frost had eagle putts on No. 17, but failed to convert. "I played really well the last five holes," said Price, the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am winner in April. "I like where I am now. I would have liked to have won, but this has done a great deal for my confidence." Frost, who made his Champions Tour debut last week with a top-10 finish at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, said he wasn't happy with his putter after his first-round 69 Friday at the SAS. So, he borrowed a putter from the Prestonwood golf shop Friday night, and he liked it so much, he said he plans to buy it. Pernice is the third player this year to win in his debut, following Tom Lehman, who teamed with Bernhard Langer in the Liberty Mutual Legends, and Senior PGA Championship winner Michael Allen. In the 2007 SAS Championship, Mark Wiebe won his tour debut. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player also won in their first senior starts. Dan Forsman, after battling Pernice for much of the day, shot a 70 to finish fourth at 11 under. Olin Browne (68), Russ Cochran (71), Denis Watson (71) and Andy Bean (68) followed at 10 under. Pernice's only bogey of the week came on No. 9 -- his 44th hole of the event -- after he hit his tee shot into the water. That left him tied with Forsman. Three poor tee shots later, and Pernice was a stroke behind. Forsman returned the favor by three-putting 12 and 13, missing a 3-foot par putt on the par 571-yard par-5 12th. After 13, Cochran and Forsman were a shot behind Pernice. "I got off to a good start, and then I started to struggle," said Pernice, who played 264 events before his first win on the PGA Tour. "I battled through some tough times in the middle of the round. I settled down after my par at 10." He said his 6 foot par putt on the 10th hole was almost as important as the 35-foot birdie putt he made on the 18th Sunday. "It was pretty important," he said. "That would have been two bogeys in a row, and I hadn't had a bogey all week. "It calmed me down, and then I started hitting some quality shots." Loren Roberts closed the gap on Fred Funk in the race for the Charles Schwab Cup, moving within seven points as they head into next week's Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, where the points are doubled. Roberts, who started the SAS Championship 57 points behind Funk, began Sunday's final round in a tie with Funk. But Roberts carded a final-round 66, just missing a 10-foot birdie putt on 18, to tie for ninth at 9 under and earn 50 Schwab Cup points. Funk (68) tied for 18th at 7 under.   Posted Sep 28 2009, 09:20 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Champions Tour, 2009, Tom Pernice, SAS Championship

• Phil Mickelson wins Tour Championship, Tiger Woods FedEx Cup

  Phil Mickelson had the smaller cheque and felt like the biggest winner. Tiger Woods was congratulated after he finished second in the Tour Championship. PHIL MICKELSON Picture © Getty Images Sunday was the ninth time that golf’s two biggest stars finished 1-2 in a tournament. Never have they shared the spotlight, each going home with a trophy that was meaningful in its own way. Mickelson capped off a tumultuous summer at home with a spectacular rally at East Lake, closing with a 5-under 65 to go from four shots behind to a three-shot victory, his first since his wife and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring. Woods made two late birdies, not enough to put any heat on Mickelson, but to secure the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus. It finished a season in which he won six times and was no worse than second in nine of his 17 tournaments. “I like the way today went,” Mickelson said. “I was two back of him, I beat him by three. He gets the $10 million check, and I get $1 million. I’ve got no problem with that. I just love holding this finally.” He motioned toward the crystal trophy of the Tour Championship, which has not belonged to him since he won in 2000 at East Lake by again rallying in the final round to beat Woods. Mickelson finished at 9-under 271 and earned $1.35 million. He also collected $3 million for being second in the FedEx Cup. It was his third victory of the year, the 37th of his career and it pushed him back to No. 2 in the world ranking. “It means a lot to finish the year off on such a good note,” Mickelson said. “We’ve been through a lot, and I’m very proud of my wife and my mom on the fight that they’ve been through. We’re in good shape. Although day-to-day is tough, and it’s not easy for them, we’re fortunate that our long-term outlook is good.” Woods stood on the 18th green with his biggest rival, perturbed by his inability to make putts inside 20 feet, trying to remind himself that he had a remarkable season coming off major knee surgery. “I’m sure I would probably be more happy tomorrow than I am right now, because you’re in the moment trying to win this event,” Woods said. “Winning takes care of everything. But when you’re in the moment out there, I’m trying to win a golf tournament. I’m trying to beat Phil, he’s trying to beat me … we’re all there, and it was just a great leaderboard.” It was a great finish to a FedEx Cup that was compelling to the very end. Three other players had a chance to capture the big prize along the back nine at East Lake. — Kenny Perry had a two-shot lead to start the final round and doubled it after two holes, only to implode with poor tee shots, bad chips and missed putts that led to a 74. — As it became clear Mickelson was headed toward victory, Steve Stricker only needed to finish ahead of Woods. He was in position until he found mud on his ball in the 16th fairway, sailed the green and made consecutive bogeys to shoot 69. “I knew it was close, put it that way,” Stricker said of the FedEx Cup race. “Whatever. I played my hardest.” — Sean O’Hair stayed within range of Mickelson until he took a bogey on the 17th hole and wound up with a 69, alone in third. “I was feeling the nerves a little bit out there, which was great to feel,” O’Hair said. “I just didn’t get it done.” Mickelson’s only hope for the FedEx Cup was for Woods to finish eighth or worse, a remote possibility until Woods made his first birdie of the final round at No. 15, then ended a bizarre drought with a 35-foot birdie on the 16th. It was his first one-putt birdie in 24 holes. Woods wasn’t paying a lick of attention to the FedEx Cup, only that other trophy. “All I know is I was three and four back, I just needed to push, needed a run or two or three birdies to get me right back in the ball game,” Woods said. “Unfortunately, that run didn’t happen until 15. And that’s a little late.” Mickelson seized control with a 31 on the front nine, and his lone birdie on the back came from a chip-in out of a nasty lie behind the 16th green that essentially secured his victory. Confident as ever from his putting tips from former PGA champion Dave Stockton, Mickelson rolled in consecutive birdie putts of 15 feet on No. 3 and 30 feet on No. 4, then pulled into a share of the lead with a pitching wedge that caught the lip at No. 8 for a tap-in birdie. Mickelson played the final 20 holes of the Tour Championship without a bogey. Woods only cared about the Tour Championship, believing the FedEx Cup would take care of itself. When he captured the cup two years ago under a different points system, he won the final two events, including a seven-shot win at East Lake. “It feels certainly not like it did a couple of years ago when I won the tournament,” Woods said. “That felt a little bit better.” Despite a one-shot lead through 36 holes at East Lake, Woods struggled on the greens Saturday and with the rest of his game in the final round. Except for his two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th, he had only four birdie putts inside 20 feet and missed them all. “Phil played well. He did the things he needed to do this week,” Woods said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t putt well and consequently, I didn’t push him. Phil ran off and got away from us.” Clubhouse Scores 271 Phil Mickelson 73 67 66 65 274 Tiger Woods 67 68 69 70 275 Sean O'Hair 66 70 70 69 276 Kenny Perry 72 66 64 74, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 67 69 71 69 277 Steve Stricker 70 72 66 69 278 Steve Marino 69 71 67 71, Jim Furyk 72 68 71 67 279 Ernie Els (Rsa) 71 66 71 71 280 Jerry Kelly 71 67 71 71, John Senden (Aus) 70 70 69 71, Lucas Glover 68 71 72 69 281 Nick Watney 70 69 71 71, David Toms 74 66 70 71, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 72 67 70 72 282 Zach Johnson 70 72 73 67, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 75 73 64 70 283 Y.E. Yang (Kor) 71 75 66 71 284 Jason Dufner 71 68 73 72, Stewart Cink 67 72 70 75, Heath Slocum 73 68 71 72 285 Scott Verplank 70 71 74 70 286 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 69 72 72 73 287 Hunter Mahan 71 73 72 71 288 Mike Weir (Can) 72 72 70 74, Luke Donald (Eng) 70 71 78 69 289 Dustin Johnson 69 74 73 73 292 Marc Leishman (Aus) 70 74 70 78, Brian Gay 72 72 76 72 293 Kevin Na 73 70 75 75   Posted Sep 28 2009, 09:20 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, FedEx Cup, 2009, Tour Championship

• Sophie Gustafson Wins Again After Six Years

  Sophie Gustafson questioned whether she would ever win another LPGA Tour title. “Yeah, absolutely,” she said, grinning. SOPHIE GUSTAFSON Picture © Getty Images Gustafson is finally an LPGA Tour winner again, six years after her last championship, cruising to a four-stroke victory over top-ranked Lorena Ochoa in the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge on Sunday. The 35-year-old Swede shot a 4-under 68 at Blackhawk Country Club and finished at 20-under 268 for her first title since the 2003 Samsung World Championship. She takes home the $165,000 winning purse for her fifth career tour victory. She beamed while walking across the bridge to the 18th green, even high-fiving a tournament official. Once it was official, she shared a long embrace with caddie Tamara Hyett. It was an especially challenging tournament given the unseasonably hot temperatures for September in the Bay Area—it reached the mid-90s Sunday. The 5-foot-10 Gustafson, who overcame her first two bogeys on the front nine all week, never dazzled but she didn’t have to on a day Ochoa struggled with her short game among other shots. Gustafson eagled No. 5 and then gained a stroke on Ochoa with her birdie on No. 13. Gustafson finished the final round with four birdies. She considers this among her best tournaments yet in terms of consistency over all four rounds despite never feeling comfortable with the putter. “I had my moments,” she said of her short game. “I’m just happy it’s over.” Ochoa could sense it was Gustafson’s day from the start Sunday. Last week at the Samsung, Ochoa edged Gustafson by three strokes to tie for fourth. “I have felt good but I haven’t gotten it done,” Gustafson said of her past events. “I felt good about my game, but the thing about my game is it can come and go. I don’t know what to expect.” Ochoa shot an even-par 72 on Sunday to finish at 16 under. She’s winless in 11 starts since taking the Corona Championship in her native Mexico in late April. Ochoa has only two victories in 17 events this year after winning 21 times in the previous three years. She missed chances all round, including when she could have pulled closer on the back nine. “I thought maybe the back nine was mine,” Ochoa said. “I gave myself birdie chances on 10, 12, 13 and 14 and none of them dropped. I would have had some momentum and put some pressure on Sophie.” Ochoa lost here in a playoff to Suzann Pettersen in 2007 and was fourth last year, but said Sunday she’s “happy” with those results and believes her game is beginning to come around. “For sure I didn’t play my best today,” she said. “I didn’t get a good start. Everything looked like it was her day. I’m trying to be happy with second place. I have to be patient with myself.” Amy Yang (66) and Sun Young Yoo (68) tied for third at 14 under. Gustafson missed a chance to pick up a stroke on No. 8, a tricky 360-yard par 4. Ochoa’s tee shot landed far to the right near the gallery, across the cart path about 6 inches from an iron fence bordering a house. Upon seeing her lie, Ochoa slapped her leg in frustration. Opting against a drop and after a discussion with her caddie, Ochoa’s second shot required a short back swing because of the fence. Her choked-up 5-iron shot ricocheted off a plastic irrigation cover 15 feet away and landed in the deep rough parallel to her previous shot. She slammed the club head into the ground. “Sometimes you also have to get a few good breaks and it just didn’t happen for me,” Ochoa said. “That’s the way it is.” Gustafson said she was so focused on her own play she didn’t pay much attention to what Ochoa was doing. “I’m so wrapped up in my own game if I start paying attention to what other people are doing I start going straight down hill,” she said. Local favorite Paula Creamer tied for 13th at 10-under 278. “I just couldn’t putt,” Creamer said. “I hit a lot of greens. I missed three greens, 17-18 and No. 4. Other than that I had birdie chances on every single hole and didn’t make anything. That was the difference. I wasn’t feeling my best. I think the heat got to me. I hit the ball well but I couldn’t get anything going.”   Posted Sep 28 2009, 09:19 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, 2009, Sophie Gustafson, CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge

• Felicity Johnson Breaks Through to Maiden Victory

  England's Felicity Johnson became a first-time winner on the Ladies European Tour when she recorded a two shot victory at the Tenerife Ladies Open. Birdies on the final two holes elevated the Birmingham 22-year-old to the top of the leader board at Costa Adeje. The third year tour pro fired a stunning final round of five-under 67 to end up with a four round total of 274, 14-under-par. Becky Brewerton of Wales, who led by three at halfway and with a round to go, stumbled to a 72 and took outright second. She was shocked after missing birdie putts on the final two holes. Johnson started the day at nine-under, three shots behind Brewerton, but birdied the second when she struck a wedge to 12 feet, before Brewerton bogeyed the third, narrowing her lead to a stroke. Having birdied the par-five eighth, Johnson was one behind at the turn on 11-under. After she and Brewerton both birdied the par-four 12th hole, Johnson caught the leader with a two-putt birdie at the par-five 13 th hole. Johnson dropped a shot at the par-three 14 th when she hit a poor tee shot short of the green, but immediately recovered with a birdie at the 15 th after her second shot hit the flag. Both players bogeyed the 16 th but Brewerton missed her chance at the 17 th after Johnson holed from 25 feet to go one ahead for the first time. Then, Johnson struck a magnificent rescue iron to six feet at the par-five 18 th , setting up a tap-in birdie and saving her best for last. A final round of 67 was enough for a four round aggregate of 274, 14-under-par. �It's all a bit surreal at the moment really but I've worked so hard for this so it's just fantastic that it's finally come together for me,� said Johnson, who earned €45,000, moving up from 42 nd to 14 th on the Henderson Money List. �I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and made a couple of good up and downs early on which kept the pars on the card. �I just hit one bad shot o 14 and made a bogey there but apart from that I played really solid golf again. �I hit a really good shot into 15 which hit the flag, so that was pleasing. I holed a really good putt on 17 from 25 foot or so which gave me the boost I needed at the last.� Johnson had recorded two top-10s on the LET circuit this year, with her season-best a tie for third at the SAS Ladies Masters in Norway. �I led after the first round in Gothenburg last year and I've finished third four times so it was a matter of putting the icing on the cake really.� Johnson said she would celebrate with a night out go-carting and would take a day off on Monday in Tenerife. She thanked her Australian caddie Steve Walsh, but her father Paul Johnson, who is also her coach, will take over caddie duties for next week's Madrid Ladies Masters, where Brewerton, the 26-year-old Open de Espana Femenino winner, will have another chance to complete a Spanish double. Germany's Bettina Hauert finished third and equalled her season-best finish after a final round of 72. England's Melissa Reid shot 67 and shared fourth with Spain's Tania Eloegui (73) at six-under-par. Germany's Anja Monke (71), the first round leader, shared sixth with Laura Davies (69) at four-under-par, the Englishwoman having scraped through the cut at halfway. Posted Sep 28 2009, 09:18 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, 2009, Tenerife Ladies Open, Felicity Johnson

• GB&I Gain Fifth Straight Seve Trophy

  Britain and Ireland won their fifth successive Seve Trophy on Sunday with Continental Europe’s fightback proving in vain. In an absorbing finale, Paul McGinley’s team took the match 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 but lost the singles 6-4 to Thomas Bjorn’s continentals. GB&I TEAM Picture © Getty Images After dominating the first three days, Britain and Ireland needed only two wins from the 10 singles. When Anthony Wall pulled out suffering an injured shoulder and shared a point with Spain’s Alvaro Quiros, it was only one and a half points. The trophy was secured in the first two matches when Rory McIlroy edged a pulsating match with world number five Henrik Stenson of Sweden by one hole and Graeme McDowell took care of last year’s European number one Robert Karlsson of Sweden 3 & 2. In the first match, McIlroy collected an eagle and five birdies to Stenson’s eagle and four birdies but it was a double-bogey by the Swede on the penultimate hole that handed the match to the Briton. Both players smashed into trees on the 17th but Stenson then hit his second shot into the heavy rough, to allow his 20-year-old opponent to go ahead. Both made pars at the 18th, McIlroy sinking a nervy four-footer for the win. “I’d be lying if I said my hands weren’t a little shaky over the putt on the last,” McIlroy told reporters. “It was a great result for the team because of what was happening behind and good to put the point on the board.” Stenson, admitted to “fighting my swing all week” but paid tribute to McIlroy. “He just keeps improving and I fully expect him to be in the Ryder Cup squad next year,” Stenson told reporters. “In fact, when he holed a 30-footer I told him I wouldn’t mind playing with him next October if he keeps rolling them in like that.” McDowell was never behind against Karlsson, who was playing his first tournament for nearly five months after retinal problems. Although Karlsson got it back to only one down after 14, errors by the Swede cost him any chance of recovering the deficit. Continental Europe were in the ascendency during McDowell and McIlroy’s matches and were winning all the remaining ties before running out of steam. “The more blue (of the continentals) I saw on the board I thought ‘this is going to be more important than we thought, let’s get the job done’,” McDowell told reporters. “And thankfully I did.” Bjorn had instructed his team to “play for your pride” and they responded determinedly, none more so than Dane Anders Hansen. The former European PGA champion ran up a staggering 10 birdies in 12 holes to crush Englishman Nick Dougherty 7 & 6. Englishman Robert Rock earned the only other Britain and Ireland point by defeating Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano by one hole. Chris Wood of England, with the week’s best record of 4 1/2 points, gained a half with Swede Peter Hanson. Seve Ballesteros, the five-times major champion who created the contest, currently recovering from brain tumour surgery, was unable to make the closing ceremony but congratulated the teams via a television broadcast. “I just finished my radiotherapy. Hopefully I should be okay in about one month,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you on the seventh edition of the Seve Trophy in two years’ time.” Posted Sep 28 2009, 09:17 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, 2009, Seve Trophy

• Colin Montgomerie Critical of Ian Poulter

  Ian Poulter came in for criticism again on Wednesday, a year after controversially dropping out of the final Ryder Cup points-counting event. IAN POULTER  Picture © Getty Images This time the world number 20 is underfire from 2010 European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie for skipping this week’s Seve Trophy at St Nom la Breteche. “Ian Poulter, having not qualified for the Tour Championship and the final FedExCup event (in the U.S.) and having been picked for the last Ryder Cup team, I felt a little bit more effort might have been made to come here,” Montgomerie told reporters. “I haven’t (spoken to him to ask why) but I don’t want to. I don’t want to make a big issue of this.” Poulter qualified for the Britain & Ireland team that takes on Continental Europe but, similar to when he stayed away from Europe’s last Ryder Cup qualifying event in Scotland, he has decided not to return from his base in the United States. The Englishman was eventually picked by captain Nick Faldo as a Ryder wildcard last year. Poulter’s manager, Paul Dunkley, explained why the player was missing this week. “Ian was within one shot of making this week’s Tour Championship and had to plan a schedule at the point he made the third (and penultimate) FedExCup qualifying event,” Dunkley told Reuters. “His family had already gone out (to America) and he couldn’t leave them to come over here to Europe. It was all very unfortunate because he loves team golf.” Montgomerie is in Versailles to weigh up the two teams and watch players who are likely to play under him in the biennial match with the U.S. in Wales in 2010. Poulter was one of the few European success stories when they lost to the Americans last year and Dunkley added: “Ian is absolutely committed to making the Ryder Cup team on merit this time”. With money-list leader Martin Kaymer of Germany and second-placed Paul Casey of Britain also absent due to injury, both sides have lost key players this week. Rory McIlroy, third on the money-list, and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell take on Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Dane Soren Kjeldsen in the first of five Thursday morning fourballs. McIlroy, who referred to the Ryder Cup as an “exhibition” earlier this year, is nonetheless keen to gain experience of professional team golf. “It’s my first team event as a pro and the more things like this I can get before playing in the Ryder Cup … will stand me in good stead,” he said. Britain’s Simon Dyson has been suffering sickness but is expected to play alongside Oliver Wilson against Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson on Thursday. If Dyson is unfit one of the two European players will have to drop out and the match will become a singles encounter. Officials said tournament founder Seve Ballesteros may attend the event at the weekend. The Spaniard is still recovering after undergoing four operations to remove a brain tumour. Posted Sep 24 2009, 07:10 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Ryder Cup, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter

• Lorena Ochoa Struggling to Retain No.1 Spot

  Lorena Ochoa is running out of tournaments in a startlingly average season for a player who won 21 times in the previous three years. Since winning the Corona Championship in her native Mexico in late April for her second victory of the year, the top-ranked Ochoa is winless in 10 starts. LORENA OCHOA  Picture © Getty Images South Korea’s Jiyai Shin leads the player of the year—and rookie—races and is within striking distance of catching Ochoa in the rankings. Norway’s Suzann Pettersen and a handful of other players are also close heading into the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge, set to start Thursday at Blackhawk Country Club. “It’s not easy so. That’s why I need to work harder,” Ochoa said Wednesday. “That’s why I need to start playing better and do whatever it takes to keep that No. 1 position.” For nearly two years that wasn’t much of an issue for the 27-year-old star who replaced Annika Sorenstam at the top of the rankings in April 2007. But 2009 has been a much different year for Ochoa. She has spent more time in Mexico while playing in fewer tournaments and is in the midst of planning her December wedding to longtime boyfriend Andres Conesa, the CEO of AeroMexico. On the course, the results have been disappointing. Ochoa has finished better than 10th only twice in her last 10 tournaments, including a tie for fourth last week in the Samsung World Championships at Torrey Pines. She bottomed out with a 49th-place showing at the Safeway Classic in August. In majors, Ochoa also has struggled. She was 26th at the U.S. Women’s Open and 28th at the Women’s British Open. “My life is changing a little bit and that’s just the way it is,” said Ochoa, who two weeks ago in Mexico City bristled slightly at criticisms of her game. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep that same level and the same rhythm forever. It’s been an up and down year for me for different reasons, especially outside the golf course. “I think it was a good start, what happened the last couple weeks, but I’m trying to get into the winner’s circle.” Ochoa has never won the CVS/pharmacy tournament, formerly known as the Longs Drugs Challenge. She was fourth in 2008 and lost a playoff to Pettersen in 2007. “Compared to previous years I think this course is going to change a little bit probably with lower scores,” said Ochoa, citing the softer greens at Blackhawk. “The par 5s are not as easy in terms of reaching because they are playing longer but I just like it. I’ve been close a few times so hopefully this is my year.” The 21-year-old Shin has been comfortable all year. She has a tour-high three wins and five other top-10 finishes. “She didn’t surprise me because we knew how good she was,” Ochoa said. “Of course it’s not only her. There are a few players that are trying to catch me. It’s OK. That’s the way it is when you’re at the top.” Shin, who remembers following Ochoa as a fan at a tournament in South Korea five years ago, also leads the money list and is trying to become the first player since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win both player of the year and rookie of the year honors. Shin, the 2008 British Open champion, was sick earlier this week and wasn’t able to play a full round on the Blackhawk Course until Wednesday’s pro-am. She’s an obvious favorite, along with Pettersen and last year’s winner, In-Kyung Kim, but Shin isn’t counting Ochoa out. “She’s still a great player,” Shin said. “Every week she has a chance for the win. This year’s been a little up and down for her but she’s a good player.” Other past tournament winners playing in this year’s event include Karrie Webb (2006), Christina Kim (2004), Helen Alfredsson (2003), Se Ri Pak (2001) and two-time winner Juli Inkster (1999, 2000). The field also includes 13-year-old Casie Cathrea, a freshman in high school who won a qualifier Monday.   Posted Sep 24 2009, 07:08 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Lorena Ochoa, Suzann Pettersen, 2009, Jiyai Shin, Blackhawk Country Club, CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge

• Tiger Woods Keeps the FedEx Cup Simple

  So many scenarios. So many good players. So much money on the line. TIGER WOODS Picture © Getty Images Tiger Woods is keeping it so simple. He tees it up Thursday in the Tour Championship against a 30-man field at East Lake. His goal is to shoot the lowest score. “You always have the same approach and same attitude that you try and win every tournament you enter,” Woods said. “Whether it’s a regular tour event, a playoff event, World Golf Championship, Players, whatever it may be, it’s the same intensity. You bring the same attitude to play. … You win it, and you take care of everything else.” Everything else includes a $10 million bonus—$9 million in cash—for capturing the FedEx Cup, which in its third season appears to have finally delivered a compelling conclusion. Woods is the No. 1 seed by virtue of his five PGA Tour victories that put him atop the standings, and a sixth victory in a playoff event two weeks ago at the BMW Championship. The next four seeds—Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Heath Slocum—don’t have to look at a leaderboard. If they win the Tour Championship, they win the FedEx Cup. The points can get confusing, and there are a couple of wild possibilities. — Furyk and Padraig Harrington can capture the FedEx Cup without having won a single tournament all year. — Marc Leishman can win the FedEx Cup provided Woods finishes 10th or worse, and the next four seeds finish fifth or worse. How did Leishman get in this position? Furthermore, who is Leishman? He’s a PGA Tour rookie from Australia with a strong swing and beautiful touch with the putter. He was on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs outside Boston three weeks ago until making an eagle on the final hole. His only way into the Tour Championship was to finish third in Chicago, and he played bogey-free the final round with Woods at his side to tie for second. — Slocum could win the FedEx Cup by winning the Tour Championship. He wasn’t even sure he would make the 125-man field at the start of the playoffs until his wife did the math and realized he qualified at No. 124 by two points. A week later, he won The Barclays over a world-class cast of runner-ups—Woods, Harrington, Stricker and Ernie Els. — And the most bizarre scenario of all? There could be two sudden-death playoffs on Sunday—one to decide the Tour Championship, another to decide the FedEx Cup. It might even be the same two players. Imagine Furyk and Scott Verplank tied after 72 holes. They would have a playoff for the Tour Championship. If Verplank were to win, that would leave them tied in the FedEx Cup standings, and they would return to the par-3 18th for a playoff with a much bigger payoff. Furyk has heard all the possibilities and is ready to stick a peg in the soggy turf of East Lake. “The thing I probably haven’t enjoyed for the whole week is the ‘what if,”’ Furyk said. “I’ve had people ask me, ‘What if? What if? What if?’ All the way down the line. It all doesn’t really matter until we tee it up and go figure it out.” The points and possibilities might be hard to digest. Still, the Tour Championship is significant for the first time in six years, and suddenly is elevated in stature. It had become golf’s version of an All-Star game, bringing together the top 30 players from the money list to celebrate their season. Only twice this decade has it contained any drama—in 2000, when Phil Mickelson won at East Lake to deny Woods a shot at his 10th victory; and in 2003, when Woods and Vijay Singh were locked in a race for player of the year and the money title. Now, it likely has its strongest field ever, even if that might not show up in the world ranking or the money list. The top 30 represents the best players of the season, and the hottest players of the last month. No one missing at East Lake can make a case that he belongs at the Tour Championship. Of the top 20 in the world, four PGA Tour members did not make the top 30—Singh, Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas and Ian Poulter. None has won a tournament this year. “They might not be the best-ranked players, but they are the best performers,” Retief Goosen said. “It’s nice to see this come down to the very last event, which is what it’s supposed to do. It used to be for the guy leading the money list. It was just another event. Now, this means a lot more. It’s a high-profile event.” If he can’t win a major, Woods takes pride in winning events on strong courses against strong fields. This would fall into that category. “If you look at years past before we had this format, it was basically the hottest players for the year,” Woods said. “This is a little bit different, though, because you actually get some of the hotter players later in the year. It adds for a little bit more excitement.” Woods could have skipped the Tour Championship in the first year of the FedEx Cup and still won the $10 million. Singh only had to show up and play four rounds to win it last year. This time, the FedEx Cup could be up for grabs until the final putt Sunday. Posted Sep 24 2009, 07:07 AM by Golf International with no comments Filed under: Golf International, Tiger Woods, FedEx Cup, 2009, Tour Championship