Another form of playoffs starts in golf

Another form of playoffs starts in golf
DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) August 27, 2013AP - Sports








NEW YORK (AP) -- While the top 100 players in the FedEx Cup gather outside Boston this week to resume their pursuit of riches, 129 players are in Indiana for another form of PGA Tour playoffs. Only those guys are pursuing jobs.

The Hotel Fitness Championship in Fort Wayne, Ind., is the first of four $1 million tournaments that will determine who gets PGA Tour cards for the 2013-14 season. It essentially is like Q-school, but stretched out over four weeks instead of six days.

The four-event series is for players who were No. 126 to No. 200 in the FedEx Cup, and the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list.

Everyone starts from scratch, and the leading 25 players on the money list from these four tournaments will get their PGA Tour cards. The top 25 from the Web.com Tour money list are assured their cards. How high they finish on this money list only determines their pecking order for getting into tournaments next season.

The series should start to provide some insight in one question: Does this format favor the players who had poor seasons competing against the best in the world, or those who had good years competing in the minor leagues?

Not everyone who is eligible will be competing.

Some players, such as Ben Curtis and Tommy Gainey, already are exempt for 2013-14 from winning on tour last year. The field includes a major champion (Trevor Immelman) and former Ryder Cup players Chad Campbell and Chris DiMarco.

It also includes Patrick Cantlay, who was in the top 25 on the Web.com Tour money list almost the entire year until a back injury kept him out for two months. He fell out of the top 25 after the final week of the regular season, and now starts with no money next to his name along with everyone else.

The series moves to North Carolina next week, followed by Columbus, Ohio, and wrapping up with the Web.com Tour Championship at PGA Tour headquarters (Valley Course).

After a week off, the new season begins.

Those who failed to earn one of the 25 cards will have status on the Web.com Tour next year.

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BUBBA AND THE GREENBRIER: Anyone who can break 90 while playing The Old White TPC all the way back might have a chance to play a round of golf with The Greenbrier's newest resident - Bubba Watson.

The former Masters champion is the latest to join the Greenbrier's staff of professional golfers and will have The Greenbrier logo on his golf bag. Other players representing the fabled West Virginia resort are Webb Simpson, Kenny Perry and Tom Watson, the Greenbrier's pro emeritus.

Watson played The Greenbrier Classic this year and loved it so much he bought a home.

''I was blown away when I played The Old White TPC earlier this year,'' Watson said. ''My family and I had a great time experiencing all of the different amenities the property offers and decided this was the perfect place for us.''

In honor of the relationship announced Tuesday, The Greenbrier will introduced a set of ''Bubba'' tees that guests can play on the Old White. Those who break 90 will have their names entered in a raffle, and two winners will have a chance to play with Watson.

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MINDFUL MICKELSON: Phil Mickelson is known almost as much for signing autographs as his five major championships.

He showed last week at Liberty National that he doesn't just go through the motions. Mickelson played an 18-hole practice round for The Barclays, pulled out a marker and began working both sides of the fence lined with fans.

After signing each item, he handed it back to the person, looked them in the eye and said, ''Thank you.''


He signed a program for one man and as he handed it back to him, Mickelson said, ''Thanks for your patience. I saw you out there watching us.''

But it wasn't all warm and fuzzy. As he went to sign a flag, he withdrew his pen and said to the man, ''Sir, you already gave me one thing to sign. I won't sign for you again.''

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MCCORMACK MEDAL: Lydia Ko is winning the Mark H. McCormack Medal about as often as Tiger Woods wins the professional version of it.

The 16-year-old Ko has won the McCormack Medal as the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for 2013. U.S. Amateur champion Matthew Fitzpatrick of England won for being the leading male amateur.

Ko won the medal for the third straight year.

''It means a lot, and to have won the medal three years in a row makes it more special,'' she said. ''To have maintained my position for the last three years has been meaningful. I won the U.S. Amateur last year. I wanted to win that championship so much. Without winning it, I may not have been able to maintain my position.''

Ko is coming off her second straight win in the Canadian Women's Open on the LPGA Tour. She has been No. 1 in the women's amateur ranking for 123 straight weeks. In the professional women's ranking, she already is No. 7.

Fitzpatrick captured the medal by winning the U.S. Amateur to overtake Cheng-tsung Pan in the ranking. The McCormack Medal gives him a spot in the U.S. Open and the British Open next summer.

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REVISIONIST HISTORY: Tiger Woods said going into the PGA Championship that while winning a major automatically makes it a great year, he had a great year because of the five tournaments he won - The Players Championship, two World Golf Championships and two other events on either strong courses or against strong fields.

He was asked if he had lowered his standards of what makes a great year having gone five seasons without a major. Woods said no.

Perhaps it was his comment from one year ago that led to that question.

It was at The Barclays in 2012 that he was asked about three PGA Tour wins and whether he saw it as a good year or some other description.

''Well, I see it as absolutely it's a good year,'' Woods said a year ago. ''But I think winning a major puts it into a 'great year' category. I've said that countless times prior.''

Or he used to, anyway.

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DIVOTS: Rickie Fowler will be playing the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines on Nov. 7-10. ... Only six of the 25 players who earned PGA Tour cards through the Web.com Tour money list will be rookies next year. ... Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott are the only players who have won a major, aWorld Golf Championship, The Players Championship and a FedEx cup playoff event. ... Europe begins its Ryder Cup standings this week at the Wales Open, where captain Paul McGinley will hit the first tee shot at Celtic Manor. Only one player in the field - Francesco Molinari - was on the last Ryder Cup team for Europe.

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STAT OF THE WEEK: Three PGA Tour winners this year earned their cards at Q-school last year - Billy Horschel, Derek Ernst and Patrick Reed.

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FINAL WORD: ''Hopefully, she doesn't get burned out before she gets the chance to turn pro.'' - Brittany Lincicome on 16-year-old amateur Lydia Ko, who won the Canadian Women's Open for the second straight year.

Wozniacki survives tough battle with Chinese qualifier

Wozniacki survives tough battle with Chinese qualifier

August 27, 2013







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Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark celebrates after winning match point against Duan Ying-Ying of China at …



NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki reeled off five consecutive games to dig herself out of a hole on Tuesday and safely reach the second round of theU.S. Open.

With her boyfriend, Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, watching from the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Wozniacki was forced to work overtime to beat Chinese qualifier Duan Yingying 6-2 7-5.

Wozniacki seemed to be in cruise control after she raced through the opening set in just 35 minutes but the Danish sixth seed soon found herself in trouble, trailing 5-2 in the second.

But she regained control and won the next five games to seal victory and avoid a repeat of her first-round exit from Flushing Meadows a year ago.

(Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Tennis-Wozniacki survives battle with Chinese qualifier

Tennis-Wozniacki survives battle with Chinese qualifier

August 27, 2013








(Adds quotes)

By Julian Linden

NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Former world number oneCaroline Wozniacki reeled off five consecutive games to dig herself out of a hole on Tuesday and safely reach the second round of the U.S. Open.

With her boyfriend, Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, watching from the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Wozniacki was forced to work overtime to beat Chinese qualifier Duan Yingying 6-2 7-5.

"It was just difficult because there was a lot of wind out there," said Wozniacki.

"I just kept my focus and kept fighting for every point. She just went for it, hitting everything, and I just had to keep steady and keep running balls down."

Wozniacki seemed to be in cruise control after she raced through the opening set in just 35 minutes but the Danish sixth seed soon found herself in trouble, trailing 5-2 in the second.


But she quickly regained control and won the next five games on the trot to seal victory and avoid a repeat of her first-round exit from Flushing Meadows a year ago.

It was anything but a perfect performance from Wozniacki but she said she was just pleased to advance after her shock early exit 12 months ago.

"I think everyone that you asked today would just say it was a day of survival and a day to get through," she said. "It's not about being pretty. It's about just getting the job done. I did that, so I'm happy about that."

Wozniacki reached the final at Flushing Meadows in 2010 and was a semi-finalist each of the next two years but has fallen on lean times since, failing to make it past the fourth round in each of her past six grand slams.

The 23-year-old's relationship with McIlroy has been heavily scrutinised but Wozniacki said she remained confident of getting back to her best.

"I always believe in that, so I never lost the belief. There is still so many matches to go, so I just have to go one match at a time like always," she said.

"I think if you ask any athlete, there will always be ups and downs. The downs just make the ups even better. You appreciate it more. You love it.

"I love proving people wrong, and I love what I do. I live the life I have always dreamed of and I have a passion and I have something to wake up for every morning." (Editing by Frank Pingue)

Hearn looks to score big win with assist from Gretzky

Hearn looks to score big win with assist from Gretzky

Steve Keating August 8, 2013







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Canada's David Hearn reacts after his par on the 12th green during the first round of the 2013 PGA Championship …


By Steve Keating

ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - David Hearn could win this week's PGA Championship and go on to capture golf's three other majors for a career grand slam but would still not be the most famous Canadian to call Brantford, Ontario, home.

Hearn, 34, fired a four-under-par 66 to briefly feature atop the PGA Championship's first-round leaderboard on Thursday and put himself squarely in contention for a maiden major.

But even if Hearn were to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy high on Sunday, it will never replace the image of Brantford's favorite son, hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, holding the National Hockey League's treasured Stanley Cup above his head.

"The Gretzky family is huge in our town for obvious reasons," said Hearn, who has met the Hall of Fame hockey player several times. "Wayne has been such a great inspiration for everybody in Canada, let alone Brantford.

"I'll be doing everything I can to make Brantford proud and give them another athlete to cheer for, for sure."

While there is a lot of golf still to be played before the season's final major is decided, not since Mike Weir slipped into the winner's green jacket at the 2003 Masters, has a Canadian golfer created some major buzz.

Playing in his first PGA Championship, Hearn got his round off to a stumbling start with a bogey at the first and finishing it the same way with a bogey at 18.

But in between, Hearn was flawless, carding six birdies to sit one shot back of clubhouse leader American Jim Furyk, who signed off with 65.

"Obviously a little disappointed with the finish, but after that bogey on one, got a birdie right back on number two and that kind of got me back in the direction pretty quickly," assessed Hearn. "In between that, I hit a lot of good shots, and yeah, really solid round."

While Gretzky, who now lives in California, was pegged for hockey stardom from an early age - the hockey stick that the 13-year-old used to score his 1,000th minor league goal selling at auction for $38,838 - Hearn would be known in hockey circles as a "grinder."

He has spent a large part of his career travelling golf's back roads scratching out a living on the Canadian, Asia and U.S. satellite tours.


But this season, Hearn's perseverance has started to payoff as he closes in on his first PGA Tour success.

Hearn enjoyed improved form ahead of the PGA Championship, recording a career-best second place finish at the John Deere Classic last month.

He sits 49th on the FedExCup standings and has earned $1 million in prize money this year - a third of his career earnings.

"The John Deere was a step forward for me in my career at this time; to be in contention on the biggest stage, maybe not the biggest tournament on the Tour, but definitely, in the playoff with Zach (Johnson) and Jordan (Spieth)," recalled Hearn.

"I took a lot of positives. I think when I do get in that situation again, I'll be able to pull from that and I'll look back at it as a great learning experience."

Certainly Hearn does not lack from high-profile support or advice.

Gretzky, who at one time sponsored a tournament on the Nationwide Tour and whose daughter Paulina is dating PGA Tour golfer Dustin Johnson, enjoys playing golf and has shared some of his competitive wisdom with Hearn.

Weir, Canada's most successful golfer, has also taken time to provide Hearn with some valuable career guidance.

"Coming from a hockey background, it wasn't directly golf related," said Hearn. "(Gretzky) definitely just shows a good example of how he became successful.

"Mike is at a point in his career now where he definitely wants to give back more and he's definitely doing a good job of that.

"He's definitely trying to take on that mentorship role."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

Golf-Furyk in control at Oak Hill, Tiger toils

Golf-Furyk in control at Oak Hill, Tiger toils

August 8, 2013








* Furyk sets pace with opening 65

* Woods double-bogeys final hole for a 71 (Adds detail, Woods and Furyk quotes)

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Jim Furyk took advantage of rain-softened conditions to surge into an early one-shot lead at the PGA Championship on Thursday asTiger Woods double-bogeyed his final hole to finish six strokes adrift.

American veteran Furyk, whose only major victory came at the 2003 U.S. Open, fired a five-under-par 65 in the opening round to take control on a sunny day at Oak Hill Country Club.

The 43-year-old piled up six birdies and a lone bogey, at the par-four ninth, to finish one ahead of Canadian journeyman David Hearn, who is making his debut appearance in the year's final major.

"Obviously I'm pleased with the round, I really felt in control this morning," said Fury, who has not won on the PGA Tour since 2010.

"I feel very comfortable with what I'm doing with my driver right now, and I've been doing some work on the putting, as well. Today was probably one of the best putting rounds, if not the best putting round I've had this year."

Englishman Paul Casey, Americans Robert Garrigus and Matt Kuchar, and Australian Marcus Fraseropened with 67s while American Steve Stricker and in-form Swede Henrik Stenson were among a group of six knotted on 68.

Woods appeared to be on track for a one-under round after relying on his renowned scrambling abilities for much of the day but he made a complete hash of the par-four ninth to return a one-over 71.

After hitting his second shot into tangly rough short of the green, he chunked his third under the lip of a bunker from where he splashed out to 15 feet. His bogey putt then lipped out and he had to settle for an ugly six.

"I'm still right there," said Woods. "As of right now, I'm only six back and we have got a long way to go.

"I feel like I played well today and made some nice key putts and the key is I left it in all the good spots too. The round realistically could have been under par easily."


Woods was a heavy favourite coming into this week after romping to a seven-stroke victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, but is hunting his first major victory since the 2008 U.S. Open.

EARLY PACE

Hearn, who has played most of his professional golf on the lower-tier tours, began and ended his round with bogeys but piled up six birdies in between to set the early pace.

The 34-year-old, who lives in Brantford, Ontario where ice hockey great Wayne Gretzky was born, hit 10 of 14 fairways and produced some sparkling approach shots to move into contention for a first victory on the PGA Tour.

"I did a little bit of everything well, and drove it well," said Hearn, whose best finish on the U.S. circuit was a playoff loss at last month's John Deere Classic.

"It feels good for me to be in contention and I feel like I've been playing some really good golf the last few months."

Watched by massive galleries, Woods made an encouraging start with a birdie at the par-five 13th, his fourth hole, where he laid up in two after taking an iron off the tee before hitting a stunning approach to a foot short of the cup.

He also birdied the par-three 15th, sinking an eight-footer there, to reach the turn in two-under 33.

Woods squandered a golden birdie opportunity at the par-four second after he struck a superb approach to three feet, his putt not even touching the hole as it curled away on the low side.

His round unravelled over the closing stretch as he bogeyed the par-five fourth after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker before his messy finish at the ninth.

"I was completely blocked out and tried to shape one over there and I drew no lie at all from my third shot," Woods said. "I was just trying to play 20 feet long, putt back and try and just get bogey.

"I didn't even get over the bunker (with the third). Came out nowhere. Didn't really have much from there, hit a beautiful putt, just lipped out."

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who is seeking to turn his game around after a poor year by his standards, was among the late starters.

Also setting off in the afternoon was the marquee group of this year's major winners - Australian Adam Scott (Masters), Englishman Justin Rose (U.S. Open) and American Phil Mickelson (British Open). (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

A lost opportunity for Tiger in first round

A lost opportunity for Tiger in first round
DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer) August 8, 2013AP - Sports







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PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Oak Hill was there for the taking. Tiger Woods gave away too many chances.

Woods had everything he needed to start the final major championship of the year on a good note. The conditions were soft, still and ideal for scoring. He was one shot out of the lead Thursday morning in the PGA Championship when he made the turn, and there was nothing to suggest he would stray too far away.

Instead, he staggered off the course with double bogey on his last hole for a 1-over 71. That's not bad on a course where there typically is a premium on par. It just looked ordinary compared with the 28 rounds at par or better from other early starters in the opening round.

A wasted opportunity?

''A little bit,'' Woods said.


That was a phrase he mentioned three times when going over a round that featured four tough putts for par, but a round that should have been in red numbers.

Oddly enough, it was his best stretch of golf that stalled his round.

After making the turn at 2 under with a simple bunker save on the 18th hole - Woods had 11 putts on the back nine - he hit his approach 12 feet below the cup on No. 1. His shot into the par-4 second hole caught the side of a hill and settled 4 feet away as the largest crowd at Oak Hill roared. Woods drilled his tee shot on the 214-yard third hole to 10 feet left of the hole.

He missed every putt, and he missed them badly. The worst of them was at No. 2, when Woods said he should have taken more time except that his group was on the clock. It was a side hill putt, difficult even from 4 feet on the greens at Oak Hill. Woods was so tentative that the ball fell sharply to the right and never even touched the cup.

A momentum killer?
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Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 15th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tou …

''A little bit,'' Woods said.

The real killer was the par-5 fourth hole, the only time Woods removed that Tiger head cover off his driver. After several rehearsals with his swing, the ball sailed well to the right, Woods simply picked up his tee. There was no emotion. It was almost as if he expected to miss the fairway. What he didn't count on was his next shot out of deep rough clipping a tree and spitting sideways into the fairway, costing him some 30 yards of roll.

From there, a poor 9-iron came up short and into the bunker, and he finally missed a par putt from 5 feet.

''Just one of those holes where I laid up and caught the tree,'' Woods said. ''It was supposed to be way down there if it just happened to get through there, but it didn't. And I stuck a 9-iron into the ground.''

Woods didn't have a single birdie chance on the last four holes - a chunked 3-iron off the tee at No. 7, a shot from the fairway into the bunker at No. 8. Even so, he was still at 1-under par and headed for an acceptable start.
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Tiger Woods reacts after hitting a shot from the fairway into a bunker on the fourth hole during the …

That changed on his final hole. Woods hit a 3-wood to the first cut of rough on the right side, the worst place to miss with a tree blocking his view of the green on the dogleg right. He came up short and left, in rough so deep that he was trying to just land it on the green about 20 feet away. He didn't even reach the green, coming up short and into the bunker, and he blasted out to 12 feet and two-putted for double bogey.

For a guy who has struggled on the weekend at the majors, Woods didn't help himself in the opening round.

The good news? It was his lowest score in five rounds at Oak Hill. And it was only Thursday.

''I'm still right there,'' he said. ''And we've got a long way to go.''

Golf-Tiger unable to tame Oak Hill, not soured by late stumble

Golf-Tiger unable to tame Oak Hill, not soured by late stumble

August 8, 2013








By Frank Pingue

ROCHESTER, New York, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods, who arrived at this week's PGA Championship as the overwhelming favourite to win a 15th major, was still liking his chances despite a messy finish to his opening round on Thursday.

Woods, who is looking to snap a five-year title drought in golf's elite championships, had a bogey and double-bogey over his final six holes as part of a one-over 71 that left him six strokes behind clubhouse leader Jim Furyk. {ID:nL4N0G94EJ]

"I'm still right there," said Woods, who started out on the back nine and was two under after six holes. "As of right now, I'm only six back and we have a long way to go."

In relatively benign conditions on an Oak Hill course that was softened by overnight rain, Woods scrambled to make several par-saving putts but was unable to take full advantage of any spurts of momentum.

On his first hole, the par-four 10th, Woods sent his tee shot into the first cut of rough and then yelled at himself after leaving his approach short of the green. Woods chipped past the hole but sank an eight-footer for par.

He missed the green on his next hole, the par-three 11th, but salvaged par with a short putt after chipping out of some greenside rough.

Woods picked up his first stroke of the day at the massive 598-yard, par-five 13th hole, tapping in for birdie after a stunning approach shot left him just short of the cup.

ENORMOUS ROAR


The world number one got to two under when he drained a eight-foot birdie putt at the par-three 15th that set off an enormous roar from an adoring gallery that followed his every move at sunny Oak Hill.

Woods also did well to save par at his ninth hole when he got up and down from a greenside bunker.

"The round realistically could have been under par easily," said Woods, who arrived at Oak Hill fresh from a seven-stroke win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

"I feel like I played well today and made some nice key putts and the key is I left it in all the good spots too."

The world number one's round started to unravel when he bogeyed the par-five fourth after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

But it was his final hole that was a far cry from the red-hot form he has been showcasing of late to earn the nod as title favourite in the year's final major.

"I was completely blocked out and tried to shape one over there and I drew no lie at all from my third shot," said Woods, who is seeking his first major crown since the 2008 U.S. Open.

"I was just trying to play 20 feet long, putt back and try and just get bogey.

"I didn't even get over the bunker (with the third). Came out nowhere. Didn't really have much from there, hit a beautiful putt, just lipped out." (Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)