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His day was made Dustin Johnson battles his way back to win the 2010 AT&T National Pro Am by one stroke over David Duval and J.B Holmes. Johnson became the first person on the PGA Tour to win an event each of the first three years out of college since Tiger Woods.
Johnson became the first golfer to win back to back AT&T National Pro Am titles since 1990. Dustin won despite coming home with a 74 Sunday. David Duval shot a 69 Sunday, but he could not over come the bunker shot Dustin hit to get within two feet of the cup on the 72nd and final hole. Holmes, Duval and Johnson all teed off on 18 tied for the lead. Johnson hit his tee shot long and straight, over the ocean and through the wind, setting up a chance to get to the green in two on the par five 18th hole. Johnson came up a little short, landing in a bunker by the green. No problem and with 1.6-million dollars on the line Johnson coolly chipped out of the sand and three feet away from a birdie putt and the 2010 AT&T National Pro Am championship. This was not the prettiest of rounds. Only seven plays out under 70 on Sunday as the wind and the pressure built up. Dustin would lose the lead three times during the final round. Johnson scored a bogey on the opening hole, a double bogey on the ninth hole when he three-putted from 15 feet, and Paul Goydos made a birdie on the 13th hole to take a very short lived one stroke lead. Goydos dumped trucked his chances of winning with a quadruple-bogey on 14. David Duval was the only golfer to score in the 60's the entire weekend. Duvall opened up on Thursday with a 67, three shots off the pace of Johnson's 64. Both followed up with 68's Friday, but Johnson dipped back down to a 64 saturday while Duval's 67 put him six off the pace heading into Sunday. He made up five of those shots during the final round, but Johnson's save out of that bunker on 18 was the final nail in the coffin for Duval's hopes of winning the AT&T this year. Johnson's victory included a $1,116,000 pay check, the largest check of his career. He moved up to No. 2 in the Ryder Cup standings. Photo's click here
Pebble Beach gets ready to host dry run for the 2010 US Open Yes the US open returns to Pebble Beach this June but first the AT&T Pro Am will once again grace the beautiful links at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and the Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course which will replace Poppy Hills on the schedule this year.
That is not a problem this year with the US Open coming in five months. Pro's are lining up to get a chance to preview the US Open course. Or course the Open layout will not be the same as the AT&T, but they will get a general idea, if they did not have one already. All the top pro's, less Tiger Woods, will be on hand and they will be joined by sports stars and actors the first three days and if any of them make the cut, Sunday as well. Stars such as the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will be there along with the usual suspects. Bill Murray, George Lopez and ESPN anchor Chris Berman. It is always a fun deal down in Pebble Beach during the week of the Pro Am. It is serious business for the Pro's and celeb's alike. Every amateur that goes out there is dreaming of making the cut and getting a chance to play Sunday. For the Pro's it is a chance to test their mettle on one of the most challenging courses in the World. The AT&T will have one of their deepest fields in years, no doubt fueled by the fact that the Us Opens return later this year. Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson, K. J. Choi, Vijay Singh and teenage sensation Ryo Ishikawa will all try and tame Pebble Beach. One of the things that makes the AT&T so special is the fact that the tournament is played over three different golf courses. You can't test out the course the first day and then warm up to it as the competition goes along. Not at the AT&T. You have to come out on point each and every round, because you only get one chance at each course. Unless you make the cut, then you will get a second chance at Pebble Beach in Sundays final round. Tickets click here Mickelson’s grooves Phil Mickelson didn’t walk away the tournament winner on Sunday but he did end up capturing the biggest news making prize. This prize however is not one that Phil is likely to be displaying in his trophy case. Phil and his groove situation is responsible for golf’s latest controversy since the disappearance of Tiger Woods and only a handful of PGA golfers had Mickelson’s back while the rank and file of the PGA pro’s all lined up to vilify Phil. Scott McCarron (who has since apologized to Mickelson) caused a furor at Torrey Pines when he told The San Francisco Chronicle about Mickelson using Ping wedges with square grooves, "It's cheating, and I'm appalled Phil has put it in play." Mickelson, known as a short game guru, struggled on Saturday with to a 2-under 70 at the Farmers Insurance Open two weeks back, so Sunday Phil decided to bend the rules a little and bring out some old clubs which as of Jan. 1 were banned by the USGA. The Ping wedge, which has square grooves, is not affected in this new era of V-shaped grooves because of a lawsuit Ping filed against the USGA that was settled 20 years ago. Under the settlement, any Ping Eye-2 made before April 1, 1990, is allowed. His decision (along with six other golfers who are using the Ping Eye 2 wedges) has caused an eruption of comments and accusations you’d never expect to be associated with golf and especially Mickelson. Cheat. Illegal. Immoral. John Daly, Dean Wilson, Brad Adamonis and Hunter Mahan are a few other golfers who have also used the Ping Eye 2 clubs this year in PGA events, but I guess the other golfers fear Mickelson the most and they do not want him to get any kind of an advantage. The PGA Tour released a statement on Saturday about the grooves, saying, “Leading up the implementation, we have been aware that under the USGA Rules of Golf, the pre-1990 clubs would be allowed and that there was the potential that some players might choose to use them. We will monitor this situation as we move forward and under our Tournament Regulations, we do have the ability to make a local rule which would not allow the clubs. There’s been no decision made at this time." The thing is, that isn’t enough and I’m certain that someone at PGA Tour headquarters will be apologizing to Phil. They need to fix this situation, and fast. I’m certain that changes are forthcoming as this is a pretty big loophole sitting there staring the PGA head-on. Does a wedge change make a big difference to the typical golfer? No, I doubt it. You might not be able to spin it aback anymore, but your game will be the same. For these PGA Tour pros, it means a lot, and right now, the face of golf is getting a lot of stares, for the wrong reasons and this is one that they can do without.
Tiger’s World When Tiger Woods first entered the professional golf stage 13 years ago, it only took a few tournaments before the world of golf realized Tiger was a whole lot better then the hype. A few victories later and it was readily apparent that a new and dominating force had arrived on the scene and that the game of golf had changed forever. Well, forever is now upon us—Tiger won’t be in competition until right before the masters in March and it will be Tiger who will be a changed man. I recall that momentous occasion of 13 years ago when Tiger stepped up to a PGA Tour tee and before even taking a warm up swing announcing to all within hearing range, “hello world.” Well those words seem like an echo now, and the world sees a different Tiger. The question now is: how different, and to what extent, will the absence of Tiger Woods affect the game or Tiger himself the most. What is clear is that a number of important facts will change—from the competition to the sponsorships to the attendance numbers, to the international viewing audience. All of those affect the bottom line, the revenue dollars. The list goes on and in some ways touches kids and adults and all genders, races and nations. Tiger is the game’s biggest draw. They always say there is no one bigger in golf than the game itself. But Tiger is or was. The test, though, for Tiger and his future in golf is that when he does reemerge upon the scene, what game will accompany him and what impact will his return have on the myriad of factors that he effects? Tiger’s game will be the same, but will he be able to look people in the eye anymore. He has lied to bunch of people and that little ‘I can’t believe life is this good’ smirk he has had on his face all these years could make it hard for him to deal with people. He has not been seen since Thanksgiving. Good thing he has the money to just disappear like that. People will move on and Tiger’s problem will turn into jokes. Hopefully Tiger lets all the rubs and wise cracks go over, under and around him because they are bound to come. If somebody makes a sound while he is “addressing the ball” that menacing stare he has had better be as gone as his soon to be ex wife Elin.
Tiger's erratic drive Upon occasion the most severe penalty that golfer Tiger has been confronted with since attaining dominance in his sport has been an occasional erratic drive on the golf course that at most has placed him out of bounds; the intended fairway usually somewhere within a few feet and the penalty no more than 1 or 2 strokes.
This, however was not the case at 2:30 am that Friday morning when Tiger’s drive found his neighbors fire hydrant and tree. Rumors have it, that being chased out of the house with Elin and a nine iron in hot pursuit he'd finally met up with competition where he couldn't strike back. He'd finally met his challenge, although not the one within his field of endeavor. So what the world has been waiting all these years for has finally reveled itself, -- a chink in Tiger's armour. The question now becomes how, when, if and will this flaw show itself up and affect Tiger in his '10 golf competition. My guess, it won't. But I'm not betting on it.
Tiger Woods involved in car crash outside his Orlando area home Tiger Woods has been involved in a car accidents when his car struck a fire hydrant and a tree in Florida's Isleworth community, near Orlando. Woods, 33, was transported to a hospital in Ocoee. Florida were he was treated and released with cuts to his face. Tiger's air bags did not deploy during the accident because his car was not traveling the 33mph needed for the system in the car to activate.
John Cooks it up and dishes it out at the Charles Schwab Cup With all burners set on high and playing true to his name, on Sunday John Cook ended the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Sonoma, by cooking - and serving up a final round 69. This, combined with previous rounds of 68, 62 and 67 went on to set a tournament record of 22-under par- 226 total and a payday worth $442,000. . The lowest 72-hole total of the senior-set campaign and the last Charles Schwab Cup to be played at Sonoma.
It was also his second in his last three starts. He earlier prevailed at the Administaff Small Business Classic two weeks ago in Houston. His Champions Tour victories came at the 2006 and 2007 AT&T Championship. Cook was also an 11-time winner on the PGA TOUR but did not win his fourth title on the PGA TOUR until his 333rd start. The 5 stroke victory by Cook not only set a Charles Schwab total tournament record but also his 62 on Friday set a single-round record topping the previous tournament low set by Jim Thorpe in 2003. The five stroke win was the second largest of his career. Cook won the FEDEX St. Jude Classic in Memphis by seven strokes over John Adams. Loren Roberts captured his second Charles Schwab Cup in the last three years by 319 points over John Cook. Roberts wins a $1 million annuity. Russ Cochran closed out a stellar season with a second-place finish. A conditionally-exempt player at the start of the season, Cochran finished 17th on the final money list with $900,696 easily surpassing his best on the PGA TOUR ($684,851/1991). Cochran closed out his year with 5 top-10 finishes in his last six starts, earning $583,360 in those starts for an average of $97,7727 per start in that span. Andy Bean was unsuccessful in his bid to defend his 2008 title, but closed out 2009 on a high note, shooting a 9-under-par 63 on Sunday. It matched his career low round on the Champions Tour as well as tying the mark for the best final-round score in tournament history and the lowest at this site. His strong final round helped him finish T18. Bernard Langer earned his second Arnold Palmer Award as the Champions Tour leading money winner. Langer closed out the year with $2,139,451. It marked the second straight year he was the only player with over $2 million in earnings. He won $2,035 in 2008. Langer also earned his second consecutive Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average on the Champions tour. Langer€™s scoring average for the year was 68.92, the lowest since Tom Watson in 2003. My pick of the week, Bill Blackmar, one week after claiming the 30th and final berth in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship with his win at the AT&T Championship, took advantage of his good fortune. He finished fifth in the tournament and won $141,000 to bring his 2009 earnings to $658,313 a career best. The tournament moves to Harding Park in San Francisco for the 2010 and 2011 Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The site served as host of the 2009 Presidents Cup and also was home of the World Golf Championship-American Express Invitational in 2005.
Fast start Sunday propels U. S. to victory By getting on the board early and sweeping the first five singles points the United States ends up with the victory and retains the Cup at the Harding Park Golf Course on a balmy, overcast but joyous day in the City by the Bay. The overflow crowd was into every shot and it seemed like every time Tiger released his putter the ball was into hole. Tiger, on the last day and going head-to-head against Y.E. Yang, seemed as though he had something to prove. I imagine the lingering thoughts from last year’s PGA Championship where Y.E. came from behind and handed Tiger a defeat had more than little bit to do with it. With half the matches still out on the course, Wood’s sank a nine footer on 13 to put the match away. The entire U.S. team played awesome and the victory improves the Americans to a 6-1 and 1 overall record in the event.
Final round was just enough for Blackmar Phil Blackmar came out of the gate early on Sunday, birding five of his first six holes on his way to posting a round of 64 that propelled him to a final total of 203, giving him a one-stroke victory in the AT&T Champions Tour, the last full-field tour event of the year. The victory netted Blackmar $255,000 in first place earnings, a leap forward of 27 spots in the Charles Schwab Cup standings to 30th and moved him ahead of Hal Sutton and Craig Stadler - just enough to clinch the last remaining spot in the season-ending Schwab Cup being played this week in Sonoma, Calif. Blackmar, not exactly a player with household name recognition however is a 3 time winner on the PGA Tour, and can now add the AT&T Championship as his first Champions Tour victory. Admitting, nearing the end of a winless year on the tour, that he’d been thinking about getting out of golf if he had to go through qualifying school and was unsuccessful getting his card. Phil said “I got very nervous, but I was able to hang in there. The up until now it hasn't’t been very much fun, and I’d be comfortable with getting back into broadcasting, or something else.” Well now that’s all changed. And its on to the Schwab Cup at Sonoma. This year’s event in Sonoma also includes Tom Watson, Nick Price, Mark O’Meara and Tom Kite although they have no chance of winning the Schwab Cup Championship, designed to recognize the best player on the Championship tour in 2009. Only four players begin this week’s tournament with a chance to earn the season-long prize ($1 million annuity): Loren Roberts, Fred Funk, Bernhard Langer and Jay Hass. Hass won the season-long points race last year; Andy Bean ran away with the 2008 tournament in Sonoma. Bean, who is also in this week’s field, matched the tourney record at 20-under-par to win by nine shots. This event will also be the last opportunity to view the Charles Schwab Cup tournament in the venue of the stunning Sonoma wine country. The Cup’s home for the next 2 years will be Harding Park in San Francisco, the fifth different venue in 9 years for the Champion Tour’s season-ending event.
Americans put the hammer down, beat internationals 19.5 to 14.5 claiming 2009 Presidents Cup What a week it was for the Americans. From Thursday's opening round to Tiger Woods finally putt Sunday team USA never let up on their way to yet another victory in the Presidents Cup.
Woods led the way with a 5-0 record during the week. He teamed up with Steve Stricker to go 4-0 over the first three days before taking Y.E. Yang out behind the wood shed Sunday, winning 6 & 5 and clinching the Cup with a seven foot putt on 13. Stricker and Woods were a match made in heaven during the Presidents Cup. They were perfect the first three days, becoming the first twosome in Presidents Cup history to go a 4-0. Phil Mickelson added a 4-0-1 record to the Americans cause. The top three players on Team USA (Woods, Sticker and Mickelson) combined for a 13-0-1 record. Heading into Sunday's singles round Team USA held a commanding 12.5 to 9.5 lead. You need 17.5 points to take home the trophy. The USA came out on fire, Sunday, taking 3 of the first four matches for a 16 to 11 lead. International coach Greg Norman surprised people when he elected to start off Sunday's crucial last round with the struggling Camilo Villegas. Villegas was 0 - 3 coming into Sunday and he was left off the course for Saturday afternoon's four ball round. Hunter Mahan dispatched Villegas 2 & 1. Stewart Cink really got the ball rolling with a 4 & 3 win over Adam Scott. Mike Weir gave the internationals some life when he halved his match with Justin Leonard, but youngster Anthony Kim broke things wide open with a 5 & 3 win. Now needing just one and a half points with the big three still on the course it was just a matter of time before the Americans would put it away. The victory was the USA's 8th in ten Presidents Cup's. The American's have never lost on American soil. The Cup now heads down under in 2011. The International's only win came down in Australia back in 1998.
The 2009 Presidents Cup 3rd round Team USA kept up the pressure on the internationals by taking five out of nine matches played Saturday during third round action at the 2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park in San Francisco.
Once again the team of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker held up as they won 5 & 3 over Y.E. Yang and teenager Roy Ishikawa in the afternoon session. Woods and Stricker, the number 1 & 2 players in the world, out lasted Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby 1 up in the mourning session during foursome play with alternating shots. The US made a big move during the mourning, winning three out of five matches. Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa beat Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson 3 & 2 and Robert Allenby teamed with Singh to halve the round with Stewart Cink and Hunter Mahan to keep team International within striking distance. The stars of the first three rounds have been the team of Woods and Stricker. They had rolled through there first two rounds together, but against Singh and Allenby, the pair had to come back to win. Down as much as two holes, Woods and Stricker took control of the match on 17 when Stricker saved the hole with a great shot out of a bunker to set Tiger up with a 12-yard putt. Woods drained the putt and with a fist pump and a roar, the Americans were in front to stay. The pair are now a robust 5-0 in the competition through the first three days. Sunday's format calls for 12 head to head matches that will decide the Presidents Cup. The USA will not be able to count on another dominate performance from Team Woods and Stricker, but with a 12.5 to 9.5 lead heading into the final day the Americans appear to be headed towards yet another victory in the Presidents Cup.
Show time in San Francisco. The rosters are set, the course is in great shape and San Francisco is ready to play host to some of the world’s top 24 golfers (excluding European players) who will be showcased in the biennial international golf tournament known as the Presidents Cup. In addition, President Barack Obama is the Honorary Host and is expected to attend. Expect a large crowd to descend on Harding Park during a wild week of golf. This will be the 8th Annual Presidents Cup Tournament and only the second time played in the U.S. The Presidents Cup has the distinction of bringing the best competitors from each participating country together for a four day, match play event. The Presidents Cup was developed to give the world's best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team match-play competition. The U.S. Team has won five of the seven previous Presidents Cups, and the only outright win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. The 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie. The stakes are high but it is all about giving back. The total of the purse is to be equally divided between the two teams and earmarked for charities chosen by the respective captains and players. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 60s during the week of the tournament, and I predict the weather will be the only thing that will be mild. So expect an all or nothing, go- for-it effort on every shot, this tournament will definitely catch the attention of golf fans around the world. The Presidents Cup gives a high reward for birdies and frowns upon par and bogey's, so if you ain't going for the cup then you can forget about it. Once again the PGA is performing an important and valuable service. The only thing missing is that President Obama will not be teeing up. Of course that would be just a little too much to ask for.
First Tee makes an impression on generations to come For Young golfer Annie Blowsby the First Tee organization is much more then a chance to play golf with some of the best golfers who have ever played the game.
Annie, from nearby Salinas, Ca. talked about her experience with the First tee and playing Pebble Beach in a question and answer session with 1st String's Charles O'Neil.
Why do you like the First Tee? I’ve been helping at the First Tee of Monterey County since it started, so about six years now. The program has grown from about 200 kids to 3600. We are helping the kids learn how to behave through the basic disciplines of golf. After six years, the kids we began coaching back then, are now teenagers. They are the future of Salinas and a great hope against all the violence going on right now. This is a program that started when the LPGA players challenged the PGA players to build a program to help target cities with high levels of gang violence, and Salinas was one of the first chapters. What does the First Tee means to you ? When I started helping six years ago, when I was 11, I fell in love with the kids. The moment they called me Coach Annie and followed me around, they had me. It meant getting up at 6:00 am every Saturday for the pee wee class, but I fell in love with the class, and didn't’t really care how early I had to get up. I have taught many girls that were very tough to deal with when they first started out in the program. They didn't’t really have any interest in golf or me, at first, but as I got to know them better, they became nicer and nicer, and you could see how the First Tee values had changed their “tough-girl” attitudes. I was so surprised on the final day at Pebble, after putting out on 18 to a crowd cheering my name. To my complete surprise there was some of those same tough girls yelling my name from the ropes, they had watched my round and wanted my autograph. High Points of the Tournament and how do you feel about you performance ? "Making the cut was huge. After Saturday, we had a cut of 22 pro/junior teams from 78. That was my ultimate goal of the tournament, and I really wanted it. My pro, Gene Jones, was so fearless and never even questioned that we would’t make it.
It was an absolutely amazing tournament and I loved every minute of it. I didn't’t realize I would be so emotional, walking down eighteen in front of the crowd. When I teed off number one that morning I was not nervous. I came into that moment with a lot of experience. But when the crowd is cheering for you it is an overwhelming feeling. The kids were so interested to hear what we had to say, you knew you were making an impact. We all hit some shots chipping onto a green, chipping over a tree, then drivers down the fairways, and after the golf activities, the kids all got our autographs. When I was seven, we attended a similar clinic, only it was led by a big time baseball player, Orel Hershiser with Peter Jacobsen. It was fun, but, at that age, it is so hard to relate to those guys. But when us teenagers, who are their first tee coaches, who have been helping them in their classes, they look up to us and we become their role models. It was an amazing experience!
Twice as nice for Jeff Sulman at the Walmart First Tee Pebble Beach, Ca - For the first time since the 2002-03 has somebody on the Champions Tour repeated as champion of an event. That drought was ended by Jeff Sulman who roared back from six down to start the final round Sunday to win by two strokes over Greg Jones.
Sluman's comeback got it's wings from a hole in one on the par 3 fifth hole. Five was hot . Allen Doyle warmed it up for Sluman was an ace of his own about 45-minutes before Jeff's. Doyle aced the 178-yard, par-3, 5th hole with a 7-iron shot and then Sluman aced the same hole with an 8-iron. For both Doyle and Sluman, this was their first ace on the Champions Tour and there now have been nine aces made on the circuit this year. For Doyle, it was his second consecutive week with an ace. He had a hole-in-one during the pro-am at last week's Boeing Classic. In the pro-junior competition, the team of David Eger and Will Bishop of the First Tee of Lexington, KY edged Jeff Sluman and his junior partner, Erica Schneider of The First Tee of Sarasota/Manatee, FL by one stroke. Eger/Bishop carded a better-ball team score of 17-under-par 199. Jeff Sluman earned 315 Charles Schwab Cup points and moved up 10 spots into ninth position in the season-long points race. Sluman now has 820 total points this season. Fred Funk's 8th place finish this week earned him 58 points and increased his leading total to 2,109. Loren Roberts finished 5th this week and earned 87 Schwab Cup points. He now trails Funk by only 57 points after 19 official events. The Champions Tour will return to the Bay Area for the season ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship Oct. 26th - Nov. 1st at the Sonoma Golf Course, Sonoma, Ca.
Lighting strikes at the 2009 PGA Championship It looked like it was in the bag. Tiger Woods was cruising right along in the last major of the year, the PGA Championship at Hazeltine Country Club in Minnesota. Woods had lead the entire weekend and he headed into the final round with a two shot lead over Y. E. Yang and Padraig Harrington. Woods was 14 of 14 when leading after 54-hole of a major championship. Woods opened up the weekend with a 67 and it looked like Tiger might put on an exhibition on how to play a long golf course. Hazeltine was stretched out to a whopping 7,674-yards, the longest in major history. It would be the best round of the tourney for Tiger. Y. E. Yang started out with a 73, five shots back of Woods. Yang matched Tiger with a 70 on Friday. Saturday was indeed moving day for Y. E., making up four shots on Woods to head into the final round two shots back of Tiger. Yang shot a 67 Saturday to get back into contention. Everybody else fell by the way side during the weekend. Padraig opened up one shot back of Woods with a 68 Thursday, but he backed that up with a 73, 69 and 78 Sunday to end all hope of winning. Tiger Woods could not find his putting stroke all day. He needed 33-putts on Sunday to get through his round. The most glaring miss was an eight footer on 17 that would have got him back even with Y. E. Yang. Y. E. showed he was for real with perhaps the best shot of the PGA Championship with an eagle on 14 when it looked like Woods might take back control of the tourney. Tied at six under at the par-3 14th hole Tiger went for the green but found a bunker to the right of the green. Yang did not find the green either, but his ball stayed on the fairway. After watching Woods get out of the bunker, Y. E. chipped in what is now the most famous 20-footer in Asian golf history. Yang would never lose the lead again. Not bad for a man who is just in his second year on the PGA Tour. Yang did not even take up the game until he was 19, now at 37 he is on top of the golfing world.
Tiger Woods roars back to claim yet another Colonial title Tiger Woods showed that his knee is rounding back into shape when he came from four strokes back on the final day to win the 2009 Memorial Tournament at Dublin, Ohio. Woods was focused on Sunday, dropping in seven birdies, including three of the last four holes to win by one shot over second place Jim Furyk. This was Tiger's fourth victory in the event. Woods was 12-under (269) for the tourney and he started the final round tied for 7th place. It did not take long for Woods to make his move. Tiger holed birdies on four of the first nine holes, but he did not see the top of the leader board until the 17th hole. Woods put the heat on the rest of the field by knocking down birdies on both 17 and 18. Playing one or two holes ahead of the leaders, Woods kept pressure on the field the entire final round. Matt Benttoncourt and Mark Wilson began the final round as co-leaders with Jim Furyk, Jonathan Byrd, Geoff Ogilvy and Davis Love III all ahead of Woods Sunday Mourning. By the time Woods hit his tee shot on 17 he had pulled into a tie with Byrd, Love and Furyk at 10 under. Two birdies later Woods was in the clubhouse two shots up and all he could do was sit back and watch the rest of the field finish their round. Furyk was able to birdie 18 and grab second place all to him self. It all came down to who could handle the pressure. Of the top seven golfers on the leader board heading into the final round on Sunday only Woods (-7) and Furyk (-3) were under par the final round.
Consistency finally pays off for Steve Stricker
He has been near the top of the leader board in most of the events played so far this year finishing in the top ten five times before the Colonial at Forth Worth, Texas. Stricker needed two extra holes to beat Tim Clark and Steve Marino and win the Crowne Plaza Invitational. Steve hit a birdie putt on the second hole to take home the title. This was one was all Clark's for the taking. He was even with the tournament record with just five holes to play and two shots clear of Stricker and Marino before letting it get away. Clark bogeyed 14 and 18. His par putt on 18 came up just short and Stricker had new life. Clark would also miss a chance to win on the first playoff hole when he again missed a birdie putt from only seven feet from the cup. Stricker sank a 17-foot birdie putt for his six top ten finish of the season and more important, his first victory of the season.
President Barack Obama to be Honorary Chairman of The Presidents Cup 2009 President Obama is eighth world leader to serve as honorary chairman in events history. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL June 1, 2009 President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America, has accepted an invitation to be Honorary Chairman of The Presidents Cup when the competition is played for the first time on the West Coast, at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, Calif., Oct. 6-11, 2009. We are honored that President Obama has accepted our invitation to be Honorary Chairman of The Presidents Cup in October,? said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. As the eighth head of state to serve in this role, President Obama continues a long-tradition of support and leadership dating back to the first Presidents Cup in 1994. His involvement will not only further enhance the stature of The Presidents Cup, but also that of golf on a global basis.? President Obama joins a distinguished group of seven world leaders who have held the position of Honorary Chairman at The Presidents Cup. He is preceded by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was Honorary Chairman of the 2007 event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. President Gerald Ford was the Honorary Chairman at the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994 and was followed by President George H.W. Bush in 1996. Australian Prime Minister John Howard was Honorary Chairman in 1998 when the event was held in Melbourne, Australia, and was followed by President Bill Clinton in 2000. Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, was Honorary Chairman in 2003 when The Presidents Cup was staged in Western Cape Province, South Africa. President George W. Bush was the most recent U.S. President to serve as Honorary Chairman, holding that position the last time the event was staged on U.S. soil, in 2005. The Presidents Cup, a team match play competition featuring 24 of the world?s top golfers. 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe is held every two years, and since 1996 has alternated between United States and international venues. The Presidents Cup was developed to give the world?s best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team match-play competition. The U.S. Team has won five of the seven previous Presidents Cups, and the only outright win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. The 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie. More than $4.2 million was distributed to charitable causes from the 2007 Presidents Cup, a record for this prestigious competition and part of the nearly $18 million raised since the inception of the event. Players are not personally paid for their participation in the event; there is no purse or prize money. Each competitor, instead, designates charities or golf-related projects of his choice to receive a portion of the funds raised through the staging of each Presidents Cup.
Roy Sabbantini comes out on top at the Byron Nelson Golf Classic Roy Sabbatini closed out his first victory since winning at the 2007 Colonial with 5-under 64 to win by two strokes over Brian Davis in Irvington Texas. Sabbatini ended the weekend at 19-under par, shooting a 261 for the tournament. That set a new Byron Nelson record, breaking the previous mark of 18-under set by Loren Roberts and Steve Pate in 1999. Roberts would win a playoff that year. Sabbatini need no extra holes in this victory. He was pushed by Davis whose eagle on 16 brought him to within a shot of Roy, but he could not get any closer.
Wow, what a finish I do not know where to begin. We all sw signs of what kind of weekend it would be at the 2009 Masters when Chad Campbell was on record pace through the first 16-holes Thursday. He could not hold up, but he did last long enough to be a part of of three way playoff after 72-holes was not enough to decide the winner of the 2009 Masters at Augusta national Golf Course.
AT&T Pro Am at Pebble Beach is right around the corner I know that it is not even x-Mas yet, but you know the 2009 AT&T National Pro Am is just around the corner. These kind of things have a way of sneaking up on you. Many of the best pro's in the world mingle with some of the biggest sports and entertainment stars of today as they play golf on three of the most beautiful golf courses anywhere on the planet. It is going to be a big year of golf in the Bay Area. Besides the AT&T Pro AM down in Monterey, Hayward will host a Nationwide Tour event and the Presidents Cup will bring San Francisco's Harding Park back to life in October. Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer and Brendon de Jonge were named the Players of the Year by their fellow competitors on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour, respectively, as announced today by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “I know this award means so much to all three players because it is bestowed upon them by their peers,” said Finchem. “Congratulations to Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer and Brendon de Jonge for their outstanding accomplishments this season. They each provided memorable moments to our fans around the world, and I’m sure 2008 is a year they’ll never forget.” Harrington, Langer and de Jonge will each receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy, symbolic of their selections as Players of the Year. Langer was also named Rookie of the Year on the Champions Tour. Andres Romero was named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, while Dudley Hart earned PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year. PGA TOUR Player of the Year – Padraig Harrington Padraig Harrington of Ireland became the first European to earn the PGA TOUR Player of the Year Award, thanks to finishing the major championship season with wins at the British Open – his second consecutive – and the PGA Championship. Harrington, 37, is the fourth international player to be named PGA TOUR Player of the Year since the award was instituted in 1990, joining Nick Price (1993-94), Greg Norman (1995) and Vijay Singh (2004). He is only the third player to earn the honor since Tiger Woods won his first of nine in 1997 (Mark O’Meara, 1998; Singh). In 2008, Harrington became the first European player to repeat at the British Open since James Braid in 1905-1906, thanks to a final-round 69 (-1). A clutch 15-foot par putt on the final green gave him his second consecutive major championship victory and his third in the last six majors at the PGA Championship. Harrington shot 66-66 on the weekend to defeat Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis by two strokes, finishing at 3-under-par 277. Harrington posted four additional top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR, including a tie for fifth at the Masters Tournament. He was selected for Player of the Year over Kenny Perry, Vijay Singh, Camilo Villegas and Tiger Woods. Champions Tour Player/Rookie of the Year – Bernhard Langer World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer is the third player in Champions Tour history to earn Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, joining Lee Trevino (1990) and Bruce Fleisher (1999). The native of Germany became eligible for the Champions Tour on his 50th birthday in August 2007. After immediate Champions Tour success in 2007 with one win in five starts, Langer picked up right where he left off in his first full season on the Champions Tour in 2008, collecting three tournament trophies. Langer’s three tournament wins came at the Toshiba Classic, Ginn Championship and Administaff Small Business Classic. He added two runner-ups and posted a total of 14 top-10 finishes. The Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards cap off an impressive haul for Langer, who also collected the Arnold Palmer Award as the Champions Tour’s leading money winner and the Byron Nelson Award for the lowest scoring average on the Champions Tour. He finished third in the Charles Schwab Cup points race. Langer was selected over nominees Fred Funk, Jay Haas, Loren Roberts and Eduardo Romero. The other nominees for Rookie of the Year were John Cook, Gene Jones, Jeff Sluman and Mark Wiebe. Langer was eligible for 2008 Rookie of the Year because regulations stipulate that players competing in fewer than six events after turning 50 are still considered “rookies” the following year. Nationwide Tour Player of the Year – Brendon de Jonge Brendon de Jonge, a native of Zimbabwe, earned Nationwide Tour Player of the Year honors after finishing second on the money list, thanks to one win, a runner-up and three third-place finishes. The 28-year-old competed in 28 of the Tour’s 30 events and finished in the top-25 nearly 60 percent of the time. He was No. 1 on the money list for seven weeks in a row until Matt Betterncourt overtook him by winning the Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch. A graduate of Virginia Tech who now resides in Charlotte, N.C., de Jonge becomes the second international player in the 19-year history of the Nationwide Tour to earn top honors, following Nick Flanagan of Australia (2007). He was selected over nominees Jeff Klauk, Jarrod Lyle and Bettencourt. PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year – Andres Romero Andres Romero, 27, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and finished 28th in the final FedExCup standings, was selected as the PGA TOUR’s Rookie of the Year. The Argentina native also made the cut in all four major championships, one of just 11 players to do so in 2008, and posted top 10s at the Masters Tournament (T8) and PGA Championship (T7). “Congratulations to Andres for earning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honors,” said Finchem. “He is one of many young, exciting players that were able to step up during Tiger Woods’ absence last year. His win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and his performances at the major championships speak volumes about his ability.” Romero earned the honor over Dustin Johnson, Chez Reavie, Marc Turnesa and Kevin Streelman.
PGA TOUR Announces Nominees for 2008 Season-Ending Awards PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL The PGA TOUR released its nominees for three 2008 season-ending awards including the Player of the Year, the Rookie of the Year and the Comeback Player of the Year. Nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year are Padraig Harrington, Kenny Perry, Vijay Singh, Camilo Villegas and Tiger Woods. The nominees for Rookie of the Year include Dustin Johnson, Chez Reavie, Andres Romero, Kevin Streelman and Marc Turnesa. Dudley Hart, Davis Love III and Rocco Mediate are the three players on the ballot for Comeback Player of the Year honors. Players were nominated for each respective award by the PGA TOUR Player Advisory Council (PAC) and Player Directors. The awards are determined by a member vote, with PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 official money events in 2008 eligible to vote. The winners of the three awards will be announced in mid-December. In 2007, Tiger Woods claimed his third straight and ninth overall Jack Nicklaus Trophy. Brandt Snedeker was named the Rookie of the Year and Steve Stricker received his second straight Comeback Player of the Year honor. The “Opening Drive” of the 2009 PGA TOUR season begins at the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship, Jan. 8-11 in Kapalua, Maui, HI.
GOLF LEGENDS TEAM UP WITH FAMILY FOR ANNUAL DEL WEBB FATHER/SON CHALLENGE Orlando, Fla. – When many of golf’s greatest legends team up with their sons for the annual Del Webb Father/Son Challenge at ChampionsGate in Orlando this December, two first-year players in the field will be renewing a rivalry that took on a greater dimension this past summer. Nick Faldo, teamed with his son Matthew, and Paul Azinger, paired with the late Payne Stewart’s son Aaron, will join the field that features many of the greatest legends in golf just three short months after the two opposed each other as captains of their respective Ryder Cup teams, a competition that saw the U.S. reclaim the trophy after an eight-year drought. “Obviously the Ryder Cup was a thrill for me and the entire U.S. team, but this will be a thrill of a much more personal nature, being able to play as a team with Payne’s son, Aaron, against so many great players,” said Azinger. “We’re looking forward to both families spending time together during tournament week, enjoying each others’ company, and being a part of what I think is a very special tradition in golf.” In addition to Faldo and Azinger, who will both be playing in the popular ‘Challenge Season’ event for the first time, fans have the rare opportunity to see many of the greatest legends in the game’s history on the same golf course at the Del Webb Father/Son Challenge, including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and the 2008 FedEx Cup Champion on the PGA TOUR, Vijay Singh. 2008 Father/Son Challenge Teams Paul Azinger & Aaron Stewart – (1st year participating in event) Returning to the International Course at ChampionsGate for the fifth consecutive year on December 4-7, the quality of the field is assured by the fact that in order to be invited, the father has to have won one of golf’s four major championships (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship) or The Players Championship. Tickets for the Del Webb Father/Son Challenge are on sale now and can be purchased by phone at (407) 787-GOLF (407-787-4653) or by visiting www.delwebbfatherson.com.
Sulman shines at Pebble Beach Jeff Sulman headed into Sunday on the heels of a six under 66 performance Saturday at Pebble Beach. That left him in a four way tie for first with Loren Roberts, Phil Blackmar and John Harris.
Sulman finished 14-under for the event, five shots better then both Fuzzy Zoeller and Craig Stadler who tied for second. Sulman took control of this one early on Sunday. Jeff birdied three of the first five holes Sunday and he was four under on the day by the time he stepped up to the ninth tee. Sulman had only one bogey Sunday. That came on hole 17, but before anybody got any idea's, Jeff closed out the round with a birdie on 18. Fuzzy finished Sunday three under for his second place, but he did win the Pro - Jr. event teaming up with Stanford bound Sydney Burlison. They combined to 62-62-67 to finish eight shots clear of the second place tandem of Nick Price and John Catlin. The Walmart First Tee Open puts some of the best high school aged golfers in the country together on the same course as some of golfs greatest legends. The tournament is played at Pebble Beach and the Del Monte Golf course.
Sergio gets right at the Players Championship From the outside looking in it looks like Sergio Garcia did not win the 2008 Players Championship. It looks like Paul Goydos gave it away. Goydos came into the final round with a one shot lead over Sergio. Garcia had been in the lead or near the top since opening the tourney with a 66 to grab the lead early. Paul was right there at 68 after round one. Neither golfer was able to get under 70 the rest of the Players Championship. Where Sergio’s putter did not let him down it was a birdie putt on 18 that did in Goydos and allowing Garcia to get a chance in OT. There was eight other golfers under 70 in round one, but nobody could keep up the pace at the TPC at Sawgrass in PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.
South African claims 2008 Masters Championship Tiger Woods gave it his best shot, but not even the greatest golfer on the planet could get in the way of Trevor Immelman who limped home with a three over par, 75 on Sunday to capture his first Masters. Immelman's victory was his first in a major championship and his final round score was the highest at the Master's since Arnold Palmer shot a 75 on his way to a win in 1962. The course at Augusta National is already tough. Add in 30mph winds and it became a matter of survival out there Sunday. Take Brandt Snedeker, who started Sunday in the final paring with Immelman, but he never got on track and his 77 left him well out of contention by the middle of the final round. A grand total of four out of the 46 golfers to make the cut shot below par during the final round Sunday. The only drama on the back nine was if Tiger Woods would do something he has never done before. Come back to win a major. He started the final round after shooting his only sub 70 round (68) of the Masters on moving day to start the final round eight shots back of Immelman. Trevor gave Woods three shots back, but Tiger could not go get any himself on a very windy day in Georgia to finish three shots back of Immelman all by himself in second place. A Grand Slam for Tiger Woods will have to wait at least one more year. His second place finish shows that he is still the hottest golfer on the planet. It is not often that a second place finish over a tough course made hellish by the howling winds whipping around the course is a disappointment. When you have designs on a Grand Slam and you lose it all in the first time out it can leave a bad taste in your month. That should not be the case with Tiger. After all, second place is still pretty good.
PGA adds more events to San Francisco Bay Area golf scene
PGA TOUR adds TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae to its Network of private clubs Course to host Nationwide Tour event in 2009 benefiting Bay Area children’s charities San Francisco, CA May 1, 2008 The PGA TOUR announced today that it will expand its presence in the San Francisco Bay area through an agreement to manage the David McLay Kidd-designed championship golf course at Stonebrae, a private, gated country club community located in the East Bay hills. The newly renamed TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae will become the host site for the Nationwide Tour’s new Stonebrae Classic, scheduled for March 30 – April 5, 2009, which will assume the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship at Wente Vineyard’s spot on the Tour schedule. The Stonebrae Classic joins two other prestigious PGA TOUR events in the region: The Presidents Cup, scheduled to be held Oct. 5-11, 2009, at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, and the Champions Tour’s pinnacle Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Sonoma Golf Club in Sonoma, CA, Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, 2008. The Schwab Cup Championship will be held at Harding Park Golf Course in 2010 and 2011. The Santa Cruz-based Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation (www.jordanandkyra.org) dedicated to pediatric cancer research and family care will serve as the host tournament organization for the Stonebrae Classic. The Foundation was founded by Rob Stuart, father of Jordan Stuart, and David Pillsbury, uncle of Kyra Pillsbury – two Bay Area children who died at a young age from brain tumors. The primary beneficiary of the tournament will be George Mark Children’s House (www.georgemark.org) in San Leandro, established in 2004 to provide the best quality of care for seriously and terminally ill children and their families. The event will also benefit Koret Family House (www.familyhouseinc.org) in San Francisco, a non-profit residence for the families of children undergoing cancer treatment at UCSF Medical Center. “We are excited to plant the PGA TOUR flag at this prestigious David McLay Kidd design, which will become the new flagship private club on the west coast for the TPC Network,” said Pillsbury, PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties President. “In addition to providing private club members and Stonebrae residents with a unique PGA TOUR golf experience, TPC San Francisco Bay will bring the future stars of the PGA TOUR to the East Bay during the Stonebrae Classic, as well as serve as an outstanding platform for supporting seriously and terminally ill children throughout Northern California. ” The Stonebrae Classic will feature 144 players competing in 72 holes of stroke play, with a cut after 36 holes. The tournament will be part of the 2009 Nationwide Tour, the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, which awards TOUR cards at season’s end to its 25 leading money winners. All four rounds of the Stonebrae Classic will be televised on the Golf Channel, the exclusive television home of the Nationwide Tour. With support from the Stonebrae Classic Host Committee, led by John Chen, Chairman & CEO of Sybase, the Stonebrae Classic will work in partnership with The Presidents Cup to develop tournament and sponsorship opportunities that will include TPC San Francisco Bay memberships and other exceptional benefits. “For the past three years, the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship at Wente Vineyards has done an outstanding job of bringing championship golf to the East Bay and we are excited that the Nationwide Tour will continue to have a presence through the Stonebrae Classic,” said Nationwide Tour President Bill Calfee. “We look forward to the opportunity to work in partnership with the PGA TOUR and The Presidents Cup to generate funding and awareness for children’s charities benefiting families throughout the region.” The course at Stonebrae was developed by Stonebrae LP, part of YCS Golf Properties, known for its award-winning Dallas National Golf Club. Opened for member play in 2007, TPC San Francisco Bay’s magnificent par-72, 7,200-yard layout was designed by world-renowned Scottish golf course architect David McLay Kidd of DMK Golf Design, designer of Bandon Dunes in Oregon and currently in the process of completing the new Castle Course at St. Andrews. The Scottish links-influenced layout was etched into the Walpert Ridge hillside on 1,700 pristine acres more than 1,500 feet above the Bay, and features sweeping panoramic vistas, an abundance of rolling grasslands, wind-twisted oaks, and lichen-glazed rock outcroppings, creating a stunning natural backdrop for a challenging but enjoyable test of golf. A 32,000 square-foot Craftsman-inspired clubhouse designed by award-winning architect Mike Marsh is planned, featuring luxurious men’s and women’s locker rooms; sports and wellness facilities; upscale dining; and a full-service golf shop. Other world-class amenities include an expansive practice facility including five target greens with bunkers and a chipping and putting green. The Stonebrae development features distinctive village-style neighborhoods of luxury single-family homes in a privacy-gated setting and an array of amenities including championship-caliber tennis courts, a 25-meter swimming pool, four miles of scenic hiking and biking trails, and a state-of-the-art elementary school. For more information, please visit www.stonebrae.com. TPC San Francisco Bay is located at 222 Country Club Drive in Hayward. For membership information, please call (510) 728-7878 or visit tpc.com/sfbay.
2008 FedEX Cup update Players making last-minute run at qualifying for THE PLAYERS Championship Top-50 in World Ranking, top-10 in FedExCup points on Monday earn a trip to TPC Sawgrass PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL- The field for THE PLAYERS Championship will be nearly finalized following this week’s EDS Byron Nelson Championship, where players have a chance to move up the Official World Golf Ranking or FedExCup points list in order to qualify for the May 5-11 event. Players in the top 50 of the World Ranking or top 10 in the FedExCup points standings on Monday, April 28, will help round out THE PLAYERS field. In addition, if the winner of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship or next week’s Wachovia Championship is not already qualified, he will gain entry into THE PLAYERS. So far, 136 players are already qualified for THE PLAYERS, mainly via their position on the 2007 FedExCup point list (top 30), the 2007 PGA TOUR money list (top 125), or by winning a PGA TOUR event since the last PLAYERS. Sixty-nine players competing in this week’s EDS Byron Nelson Championship are looking for a win in order to make THE PLAYERS field, including TOUR veterans like 1995 U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin, Ponte Vedra resident Frank Lickliter II and 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup Team Captain Paul Azinger. Pavin has competed in every PLAYERS since his rookie season in 1984, a streak of 24 years, and Lickliter is looking to make his 10th-consecutive appearance. On the other side of the coin, rookies like Jason Day, Matt Jones and Kevin Streelman are looking for a win this week in order to make their first PLAYERS field. So far this season, Greg Kraft, Steve Lowery and Andres Romero have won a PGA TOUR event to qualify for THE PLAYERS. Mark Brown and Graeme McDowell are competing in this week’s BMW Asian Open on the European Tour, and a good finish could move them into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Brown is currently 58th, just ahead of McDowell at 59th, and both are hoping to join players like Lee Westwood (No. 20), Niclas Fasth (No. 24), Martin Kaymer (No. 31), Miguel A. Jiminez (No. 41), Toru Taniguchi (No. 44), Robert Karlsson (No. 48), Soren Hansen (No. 49) and Nick Dougherty (No. 50) who can qualify by maintaining their positions within the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Limited tickets to the 2008 PLAYERS are still available through the Click-n-Print program, which allows fans to go to the official tournament Web site (www.pgatour.com/theplayers) and print purchased tickets at home on 8.5”x11” paper. A unique bar code allows fans to present their printed tickets at any gate and enter the tournament, eliminating the need to wait in line at Will Call to pick up tickets purchased in advance. Tickets are also on sale through participating, local Public Super Markets or by calling 904-285-PUTT (7888).
Pebble Beach shines for the 2008 AT&T Pro Am The weather was so nice that nobody seemed to noticed that most of the worlds best golfers stayed away from the festivities at Pebble Beach.
Nobody seemed to care. Between the antics of the a few celeb's and the absolutely stunning sunshine that the Monterey peninsula was bathed in, the crowds did as much site seeing as they did watching golf. In the end Steve Lowery did what he does best. Win a playoff. He had some help. Vijay Singh had this all but in the bag, but a meltdown on the back nine Sunday forced Singh to make a birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Lowery. Vijay bogeyed holes 14, 15 and 16 before watching Lowery take control at 17. This was Lowery's third win on tour, but his first in seven years, a span of 199 tournaments. "After seven years and winning on this course against Vijay and everything ... it's probably the most special win of my career " Lowery said. Vijay's slide continued into the extra hole. He found the bunkers twice more on the 19th hole of the day, paving the way for Lowery to take home the victory. "I let this one slip away," Singh said. "I was in control, but those (bogeys) took a little air out of me. I still should have won the tournament. There's no excuse for that." Indeed he could have. Vijay walked up to the 14th tee with a two shot lead. By the time he got to the 17th tee Lowery had just taken a one shot lead with a birdie on 17. Steve dropped a birdie on the 19th hole to seal the deal. It was quite a win for Lowery who was on an eight tourney exception to earn his tour card for the rest of the year. Lowery, 47, became the oldest winner of the famed event. He made his big move Saturday when he birdied five of his last six holes over at Poppy Hills to start Sunday two shots behind Singh and Dudley Hart. Hart started the final round tied with Vijay and he finished in a tie with John Mallinger and Cory Pavin for third place.
FRED COUPLES AND GREG NORMAN NAMED CAPTAINS FOR 2009 PRESIDENTS CUP PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL (February 26, 2008)
The PGA Tour announced today that Presidents Cup veterans Fred Couples and Greg Norman will serve as Captains for the United States and International Teams, respectively, when The Presidents Cup is next held in 2009 at San Francisco’s Harding Park Golf Course. Two of the most dominant players on the PGA TOUR during the 1980s and 1990s, they have significant experience in the biennial match-play competition. Couples has appeared four times (1994, 1996, 1998, 2005) and Norman three (1996, 1998, 2000). They follow two World Golf Hall of Famer's who captained the past three Presidents Cups – Couples takes over for Jack Nicklaus, who also captained the U.S. in 1998 while Norman, a Hall of Fame member himself, succeeds Gary Player. “I am absolutely delighted to introduce these two great players as the new Presidents Cup Captains,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finch Finchem “While it may not be easy to replace two legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, I know both Fred and Greg step into this role with a strong passion, commitment and desire to continue the outstanding legacy Jack, Gary and all the previous Captains have created for The Presidents Cup.” The Americans hold an all-time 5-1-1 lead in the competition, and Nicklaus’ teams went 2-1-1 overall. Nicklaus and Player’s final meeting was last September, when the U.S. claimed a 19½-14½ victory at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Their most memorable encounter, however, was the first, in 2003 in Player’s homeland of South Africa. It ended in a 17-17 tie after a sudden-death playoff between Ernie Els and Tiger Woods could not determine a winner before darkness descended after three extra holes. In a show of sportsmanship, Nicklaus and Player decided that the competition would be declared a tie and that the teams would share the Cup. “It’s truly an honor to be named U.S. Captain, and I have the challenge of following in the steps of Jack Nicklaus, Ken Venturi, Arnold Palmer and Hale Irwin, who were all tremendous leaders of the U.S. Team,” Couples said. “Starting with the first Presidents Cup in 1994, I have had the privilege of playing on four U.S. Teams and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience each time. We have very few opportunities to play together in team events, and The Presidents Cup has grown into a great event presenting the best players in an atmosphere of great sportsmanship. Making the transition from player to Captain is something I am very excited about.” “I very much look forward to the opportunity and challenge of serving as Captain for the International Team,” Norman said. “I have fond memories of The Presidents Cup as a participant, particularly of our victory at Royal Melbourne. I have great respect for Gary Player and what he has meant to this event by serving as International Team Captain the past three meetings. I look forward to working with some of the greatest players in the world and to field an outstanding International Team and win the Cup back in 2009.” Couples compiled a 9-5-2 record in The Presidents Cup while Norman was 7-6-1. They played against one another a total of three times during the 1996 and 1998 Presidents Cups. In 1996, when the United States won by a point at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Prince William County, VA, Couples and Davis Love III teamed to defeat Norman and fellow Australian Robert Allenby 2 and 1 in Four-ball and 1-up in Foursomes. In 1998, when the International Team claimed a dominating 20½-11½ victory in Nicklaus’ debut as U.S. Captain at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Victoria, Australia, Norman and fellow countryman Steve Elkington defeated Couples and Love 2 and 1 in Four-ball. The Presidents Cup returns to Royal Melbourne in 2011. Both Nicklaus and Player are very supportive of the selection of their respective successors. "Although I have said many times that my experiences as Captain of the US team have been among my most enjoyable golf, I simply felt it was time for me to step aside and give someone else this rewarding opportunity,” said Nicklaus. “Fred Couples has such a history and connection with The Presidents Cup, so I think it is only fitting that he has been selected as Captain of the 2009 United States Team. I had the privilege of having Fred on several of my teams, including in 2005, when Fred was instrumental in our dramatic victory, and he was always an outstanding team player. I know how much he enjoyed contributing to The Presidents Cup as a player, and I am certain he will enjoy representing his team and his country as Captain. I plan to be at Harding Park next year to support Fred and the team in any way possible." "Serving as Captain of the International Team was a phenomenal experience for me. I am so pleased the 2009 team will have Greg as their Captain. He truly represents the global nature of The Presidents Cup and our sport," Player said of Norman. "Since coming onto the international scene in the 1980s, Greg has been an international icon for golf. And while I didn't have the privilege of captaining him, I know he understands and appreciates the competitive and sportsmanlike nature of The Presidents Cup. I wish him all the best in this role. The team will be in good hands.” The Presidents Cup features many of the world’s best golfers with 12 representing the United States and 12 making up the International Team of players from around the world, excluding Europe, in team match-play competition. For more information about The Presidents Cup, please visit The Presidents Cup Website at www.presidentscup.com.
PGA opens 2008 season in paradise The two biggest names in the sport stayed home, but a star studded field headed out to the Hawaiian Islands for the season opening Mercedes Championships at the Kapalua Plantation Course on Maui.
You earn your keep on the rugged PGA Tour, where teeing it up week in and week out is a fact of life. That grind, a healthy bank account and a baby that is less then a year old is the main reason why Tiger Woods did not make the trip. Daniel Chopra made the trip out to the Island and he came away with his second victory in the last three PGA tournaments. This was one he almost gave away. Chopra shot a seven under, 66 Sunday but it was not good enough to close it out in 18 holes because Steve Stricker shot a 64 on Sunday to force what turned out to be four holes of playoff golf. Stricker did all he could to win the tourney, birding three of the last fours holes Sunday. Chopra could have ended it in regulation, but he missed two make able putts at 18 to give Stricker like. Chopra got a little help from a ball mark. On the first playoff hole, the par 5 18th, Stricker lined up to hit a 120-yard putt from just off the green. His shot hit a mark Chopra had laid that Stricker did not think would be an issue. The mark was an issue, Stricker's putt hit Chopra's mark and it made the ball stop some ten feet short of the hole. Chopra's win got him an invitation to play in his first Masters later this year. Not bad for a player who only qualified to play in the Mercedes Championships after he won the next to last tournament of the 2007 season.
Drama of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament Any young man who takes a serious interest in golf likely aspires to one day play on the PGA TOUR. And for the vast majority who elevate their game to the level that provides even a remote chance, the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament ultimately is the best chance to make that dream a reality. With more than 1,100 players entering this three-stage event, only 25 will emerge with their PGA Tour memberships by surviving the grueling, 6-round final stage. Q School: On the Brink, Presented by Citi, a 90-minute NBC Sports special airing on Saturday, January 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET, is the story of this physically and mentally demanding path to the PGA TOUR. On the Brink spotlights five players in the finals and rides the emotional roller coaster as they pursue their dream of playing on TOUR.. Those players featured are: Alejandro Canizares, after making the Arizona State golf as a walk on, Canizares became a 4-time All-American and 2003 NCAA champion as a freshman who joined Phil Mickelson as one of the most prolific champions in ASU history. Madalitso Muthiya - Attempting to become the first player from Zambia to qualify for the PGA TOUR, Muthiya became the first-ever from his nation to qualify for the U.S. Open in 2006. Kenneth Ferrie – A free-spirited Englishman who played in the final group with Mickelson at the 2006 U.S. Open, Ferrie is a two-time champion on the European Tour who was making his first attempt at PGA TOUR Q-School. Matt Every – A 3-time 1st team All-American at the University of Florida, Every won the Ben Hogan Award as the nation's top colligate golfer. Gibby Gilbert III – The son of a former PGA TOUR member, the 42-year-old Gilbert was making one last attempt to follow in his father's footsteps.
Thorpe captures season ending Charles Schwab Jim Thorpe’s 20-under-par total of 268 tied the Charles Schwab Cup Championship tournament scoring record. Thorpe had originally set the mark in 2003 when he was a three-stroke victor over Tom Watson. The win was Thorpe’s third in this event and all three have come at the Sonoma Golf Club. Thorpe matched Tom Watson with three wins in the event. Watson’s victories came in 2000, 2002 and 2005. With his win, Thorpe claims a Champions Tour title for the eighth year in succession, the longest current streak on the Tour. Thorpe enjoyed great success all week on the course’s final three holes. He registered eight birdies, two pars and one double bogey on those stretch of holes, including successive birdies on 16-17-18 in the first and final rounds. "I think you can make up ground on the back nine. There are a couple of holes, 13 - 14 and some others that if you hit a good tee shot you can birdie a couple of holes." said Thorpe. Funk made a charge on 16 when he dropped an eagle putt to catch Thorpe at 17-under. Jim responded like a champ, reeling off his three straight birdies. Denis Watson makes big third round move It seems like they are playing musical chairs at the top of the leader board at the Charles Schwab Cup Championships in Sonoma, Ca. Three rounds and three different golfers have headed in the club house with the lead. Watson will open play Sunday in the cat bird's seat after riding five birdies to a third round score of 68 and a one shot lead over Brad Bryant and Jim Thorpe. Thorpe came into the day leading and he looked like he was in control heading into the 18th hole. Thorpe was bogey free through the first 17. His 18th tee shot found the ruff. He decided to lay up and his third shot rolled away from the pin, forcing him to two putt his lead away. "If I had taken another look at that pin I wouldn't have laid it up," said Thorpe. "It was kind of cool and I wasn't quite sure if I could carry the bunkers if I didn't hit it perfect." There were several golfers who made big strides Saturday. Mark McNulty was seven under on the day, jumping from 16th to 5th, 4 shots off the lead. Fred Funk almost matched McNalty, getting home six under to move up seven spots to head into Sunday's final round tied with McNalty at 11-under. Can Watson do something no other golfer has done all weekend, hold the lead, only time will tell.
2007 CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP Thursday, Oct. 25th This is third time in the last five years that defending champion Jim Thorpe has led or shared the opening-round lead at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Thorpe fired a 9-under-par 63 to lead Tom Jenkins by three strokes in 2003 and last year opened with a 6-under-par 66 and led Tom Kite by one stroke. He won both of those events. On Thursday, Thorpe, who was the first player off in the morning and playing as a solo (only 29 players in the field), shot an 8-under-par 64 to grab the early lead. However, Eduardo Romero matched his 64 later in the day and the two share the first-round lead. The 8-under-par 64s posted by Thorpe and Romero were one stroke shy of the course record 63 set in 2003 by Thorpe and later matched by Jay Haas in 2005. The 63 is also a tournament record originally set by Bob Charles in 1991 at the Hyatt Dorado Beach East Course and later matched by Jay Sigel (1994) and Bruce Lietzke (2001). Thorpe’s back-nine 6-under-par 30 matched the low 9-hole score on the Sonoma Golf Club course at this event. Tom Kite posted a 6-under-par 30 (both on the back nine) in 2003 in the first and second rounds. Playing as a solo, Thorpe played his round in two hours, 35 minutes. Tom Watson, a three-time winner of this tournament, opened with a 2-over-par 74 and is currently T24. Watson’s 74 ended his streak of 15 straight sub-par rounds in this event. Loren Roberts, who leads the Charles Schwab Cup race with 2,716 points, is currently T17 after his opening round 1-under-par 71. Roberts leads Jay Haas by 165 points in the season-long race. Haas shot a 4-under-par 68 and is T5. Only top-10 finishers in this tournament receive points and all top-10 finishers will receive double points this week. D.A. Weibring, Mark James, Tom Purtzer and Scott Simpson all posted bogey-free rounds on Thursday. The most difficult hole was No. 7 with an average score of 3.310 (+.310) and none of the 29 competitors made a birdie.. Hole No. 4 yielded just one birdie (Bob Gilder). The easiest hole was No. 13 with an average score of 4.552 (-.448). There were 13 birdies. Overall, the field averaged 70.843. In comparison, last year’s opening-day scoring average was 70.996. Dana Quigley’s round included a 54-foot, 9-inch birdie putt on No. 14. Eduardo Romero needed just 23 putts on the way to his 8-under-par 64. Despite 20 sub-par rounds on Thursday, there were no eagles. Tom Kite, a two-time runner-up in this tournament, fired a 1-under-par 71 on Thursday. It was his 17th straight par/better round in this event.
LPGA returns to Blackhawk The ladies will once again grace the golf course of Blackhawk when the Longs Drug Challenge hits town Oct. 1st-7th in Danville. Defending champion Karrie Webb will try to defend her title against some of the best female golfers in the world. Se Ri Pak, Annika Sorenstam and Juli Inkster are some of the past winners of this event. Tickets and event info click here
Gil Morgan brings home 25th Champions Tour title Pebble Beach, Ca Gil Morgan began the final round at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open tied with Hale Irwin, but Morgan's 5-under 67 was two better then Irwin's 69 Sunday.
Morgan broke a tie with Miller Barber for third place on the 50-and-over tour's career list. Irwin is the leader with 45. Lee Trevino is second with 29 wins. Morgan got some help when Hale shot a double bogey on the first hole Sunday. With that Morgan was off and running. Gil birdied four of the first six holes and it was just hold on from there. Morgan laid up on the 18th hole and to putted for par to take home the victory. "I did not know that Hale had double bogeyed until I was on the second hole. I was able to salvage par when I need to and that was big for me today. It was fun playing with the kids this weekend." said Gil afterwards. They could not have picked a better day to play golf at Pebble Beach. The weather was simply beautiful. Boats in the water, lots of sunshine a contrast to the AT&T in February when fog and rain seems to be around. Tom Watson closed out the tournament with a 69 to finish third. Defending champion Scott Simpson shot a final round 67 to tie Des Smyth and Dan Pooley for fourth. Smyth started the day out tied for the lead. He had an up and down weekend, shooting 71,64,73. To win on tour you have got to play in the 60's for each round. Every time you do that it gives you a chance to win. Morgan earns 300 points in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race with his victory and he now has 660 points. Jay Haas leads with 2,277 points followed by Brad Bryant (2,019), Loren Roberts (1,840), Denis Watson (1,656) and Tom Watson (1,574).
2007 Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach Golf returns to one of the most beautiful spots on the planet August 30th - Sept. when the Wal-Mart First Tee Open takes place. Some of the best golfers from yesteryear will be on hand playing for a piece of the 2,000,000 dollar purse. That's not chump change. The winner will receive 300,000. Scott Simpson is the defending champion and stars such as Tom Kite, Jim Thorpe and Jay Hass will be on hand to see what they can do against Pebble Beaches famed golf links. Sixty Jr. golfers from the First Tee facilities around the world will get a chance to play along side the pro's in this unique format. For more info and to order tickets click here 2007 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational Field Shaping Up AKRON, Ohio – With the first round of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone exactly a month away, a stellar field is already starting to take shape. The “World” in World Golf Championships is emphasized by the fact that players from 21 different countries have qualified for the event to be played July 2-5 at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Thailand, Ireland, India and South Africa will be among the countries represented. The defending champion, Tiger Woods, will be looking for his 14th individual World Golf Championships title and sixth Bridgestone Invitational. Woods will attempt to win the final World Golf Championships of the year and the second of the season after his victory at the CA Championship in March. Newly minted major champions Zach Johnson and Angel Cabrera have also qualified for the event. Johnson will be seeking his third win of the season – and first outside of the state of Georgia – after his wins at the Masters Tournament and AT&T Classic. U.S. Open Champion Angel “El Pato” Cabrera of Argentina looks to notch his second PGA TOUR victory of his career against another strong field at the Bridgestone Invitational. “We are thrilled with the way the field is shaping up,” said Executive Director Don Padgett III. “We’re only a month away from the first tee time and we already have players from 21 different countries represented. With such an international field, the event will truly have a global feel to it.”
Phil sticks it to them Phil Mickelson finished what he started, winning the AT&T National Pro Am with a three round score of 268 that included a final round that saw Phil sank nine birdies putts Sunday. It was a great way for Phil to get 2007 under way after last year when he faded badly at the end of the season after blowing a sure win at the 2006 US Open. Mickelson was never challenged Sunday, easily out pacing Sutherland who managed a final round score of 71. Phil was constant the whole weekend. He ended the first day tied for the lead with rookie John Mallinger. Both shot a 65, which was wonderful considering the wet, rainy conditions that soaked Pebble Beach. Phil backed up his first day 65 with a Friday score of 67, then a 70 on Saturday setting up his 66 final round score on Sunday. "I did a lot of work with my driver this past off season and it paid off for me here this weekend. This is one of my favorite places to play and the fans were great this week at Pebble Beach. I want to thank them for all their support." said Phil after excepting the winners trophy. The Rookie Mallinger would place third, shooting a three day total of 274. He closed out the AT&T with a 71. He got off to a bad start by bogeying his first hole of the day, but he made up for that with a birdie on his next hole. Davis Love 111 and Greg Owen would finish tied for fourth place with a three day total of 276. Owen shot a final round score of 67 to Love's 69. For a complete list of scores click here Two legends to captain 2007 Presidents Cup squad Some of the greatest golfers in the history of the game are captains of the 2007 Presidents Cup team. Jack Nicklaus, who will be in his fourth stint as captain of the United States team, and Gary Player who will be in his third stint with the International team. GARY PLAYER: I think the Presidents Cup has grown in stature to a great degree. Jack has been more involved than I have, and I'm sure he would agree with that. We have just been told that at Royal Montreal this year I believe we'll be something like 700, if I'm not incorrect by representative of the media will go out to 220 countries in the world. It's quite significant, and it's really growing into a very popular event. I think that the, something that Jack and I insisted on with our teams at the very beginning that we didn't want any War of the Shore or any of these bad feelings about trying to beat the other guy by psyching yourselves up and trash talking and play in the right true spirit of the game, and that has occurred, and the Presidents Cups have been so exciting. I say this tongue in cheek, it might be about 1,022 holes that have taken place, whatever the number is, and there's been a one hole difference, which is quite remarkable. I think if we had had our No. 1 player Ernie Els playing, which we didn't have because of his knee problem, we could have tied again. So it's been very, very exciting. I think the thing that is really commendable which is taking place in professional golf, which I'm sure you'll all agree, is the amount of money. If you look at the PGA TOUR, we're now starting on our second billion for charity, and I think everybody feels happy to be associated with an association that is deriving money for charity, and I think the Presidents Cup is up to $40 million, $30 and a half million that it's distributed in various charities around the world. I think that that is terrific. We've both got I think this year very, very good teams. It's a tremendous thing for I think Royal Montreal. I think it'll be one of the big sports that have taken place in Canada . JACK NICKLAUS: Well, unlike Gary , I have enjoyed the last two matches. I've had one more than Gary captaining in Australia where we got dusted pretty good. But the opportunity to captain and represent your team again or represent your country again is obviously a big thrill to me. It's fun for both of us, and as Gary said, we've never had an argument, we've always worked anything we've had out together. It's been very friendly set of matches, which I think is what the whole idea of the whole thing is about. It's about goodwill; it's about bringing the players of the world and the players from America together and having them compete in basically goodwill matches. Sure, they play for pride, sure, they play to win, and as Gary said, we've only had one shot difference in two matches. That's pretty darned good. I think that on paper, who knows who has the best team. Probably Gary will have more players in the top 20 than I will probably, but that doesn't make any difference. We get down to the matches and they're going to play the matches. Royal Montreal is a good golf course. It's been changed totally since I was there, and I think I can remember my one Canadian Open I hit a 3-wood in the water at the last hole laying up. I should have hit the driver over the corner to win the tournament. Barbara kept sending me back to Canada . She kept saying, "Go back until you do it right." I finished second seven times and didn't make it (laughter). But anyway, it's okay. I know they're excited in Montreal . I just think we're going to have great matches. I don't think there's any question about it. I just hope it doesn't snow, that's all, which it could do.
As the 2007 season gets under way, there are several golfers who are designs on winning the golfer of the year award. Among them is Phil Mickelson, known as "Lefty" and this could be the year that he surpasses Tiger Woods to become the leading money winner in 2007. As the PGA Tour leaves the Hawaiian Island's Phil had this to say about last year, this year and his game on the eve of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. An Interview With PHIL MICKELSONJOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome two time Bob Hope Chrysler Classic champion Phil Mickelson to our room. PHIL MICKELSON: Hey, guys, happy new year. JOE CHEMYCZ: Happy new year to you. It's been a while since we've seen you, so maybe talk about your off season and we'll go from there. PHIL MICKELSON: It was a great off season. I watch sat on my couch all day and watched TV and didn't do a thing. Just kidding. It was a great off season. I had a chance to do a lot of fun things and now that I've had that time, I'm looking forward to getting back to playing golf. Amy and I had some great trips. We did a week in Italy , went to Venice and Rome and hung out there with some friends. We had a chance to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we went down to Bora Bora and had a Polynesian wedding to renew our vows and just had a great time together. Also did some design work as we sent out a press release, went and visited a couple of sites in North Carolina for a course we're doing there called River Rock, beautiful, beautiful 4,000 acres there in the Blue Ridge Mountains . Went to Diamante Cabo, a new development there with Davis Love doing the Dunes Course right there on the Pacific Ocean right there in Cabo San Lucas. And I'm doing the Oasis Course, which is going to be an inland course with a lot of trees and kind of an isolated feel and only 40 home sites. So I'm excited about a couple of projects I'm doing there. Did a couple of things outside of golf, and now that I've got those out of the way and everything is going well there, I'm excited to getting back and playing. The last six days I spent with Rick Smith and Dave Pelz, working on my game to get it shape and address areas that need to be addressed in the off season. Q. You haven't played since the Ryder Cup, I believe, as you know, there was a lot of criticism aimed at you because of your performance in the Ryder Cup, did you read about that, did you care, and could you explain what happened? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, my performance at the Ryder Cup was every bit as disappointing as my finish at the U.S. Open. Those two events were what made 2006 a disappointing year. Even though I won The Masters, I looked back and those two events, those were the ones that needed to be addressed. Why did that happen and what is it that I can do to fix those. And the first one was the U.S. Open. You know, I really believe that the past former presidents of the USGA that passed away were looking down and said no one should win the Open hitting two of 14 fairways, and that certainly came back to bite me and I have got to address that need. I addressed it with Rick Smith and Dave Pelz who devised some devices to help me with the driving. Rick is helping me with why that happened; why after The Masters I was not able to pick up where I left off and get my swing back. And then I used Callaway's technicians to help with the design of a driver that will eliminate that left shot because not only was it on 18, it was on 17 and it was all throughout the final round. And so we're working on designing a club that eliminates that, and I think we've got it right. So I'm excited about that. And then I feel like the Ryder Cup performance was more of as opposed to a game problem, more of a physical problem. It's late in the year, it's the last tournament for me of the year and I don't feel as though I stood up physically throughout the nine months, and especially we're playing 36 holes a day. And I needed to address that. So the last three or four months, I've done a lot with my trainer, Sean Cochran, to address that. I immediately lost 20, 25 pounds and put on about 10 to 15 more with muscle from lifting, trying to build up stamina doing 45 minutes to an hour and a half of cardio five or six days a week. I've started a new martial arts, a different type of martial art from what I've been doing. We also continued with our core strength and so forth. But I'm hoping that this will improve stamina so that at the latter part of the year I have a better performance. I don't expect so see much in the start of the year because I usually play well in the start of the year. I expect to see the same. But I think at the latter part of the year I'm hoping to continue or sustain that level of play throughout the whole year now.
Q. Sorry about the Chargers. PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, thanks. Q. Two questions. One, how many drivers are you going to have in your bag this week, and the second question, did you good get a chance to see Tadd Fujikawa, and what did you think of him? PHIL MICKELSON: How can you miss him? He was everywhere. At 5'1", he was still everywhere. I loved it. I remember what it was like for me to play professional events as an amateur and it was not easy to play and do well. And for him to finish in the top 20 and play the way he did, it's remarkable and I can't wait for him to get out on TOUR. He still has to finish high school, but I can't wait for him to get out on TOUR. I think he's going to be a great addition to the game of golfer. How many drivers, I'll have one this week. I have been working on a driver for Augusta as well and a couple other tournaments. But at the Hope, length is not as big a factor like it the as Augusta so I'll be using the FT5 this week. I've been working on a longer version for the FTI, because it's so straight, I'm able to increase the length of the short and to some thinking to hit the ball longer and keep it in play so I'm using most likely that driver for Augusta . Q. With this tournament, it seems like some of the bigger names other than yourself tend to shy away, wonder why you think that is and also what about this tournament do you like? What keeps you coming back? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I think what I like about this tournament might also be the same reason why some people shy away from it. I love the fact it's five days. I love the fact that the weather usually is perfect here. It's a great place to start the year because you're guaranteed four competitive rounds whether you make the cut or not. It's usually great weather which allows your game to progress and for you to get positive feedback or good feedback on what you're doing right or wrong. Sometimes when the weather is blowing 20, 30 miles an hour, you can't tell what exactly you're doing right in your swing or what you're doing wrong and you get in some bad habits. To start here in great weather is a perfect place to start. Q. After you left after the Ryder Cup, it seemed like a popular game around the country was: What's Phil's state of mind and how is his shattered psyche. It doesn't sound like you played into that game much in the off season. PHIL MICKELSON: Well, dealing with failure is part of the game. I deal with it 90 percent of the time. I look back to when I lost the 2001 PGA to David Toms. On the 16th hole there, I 3-putted. I had a 50-footer, 60-footer, I blew it eight feet behind the hole and 3-putted. I looked back at that event and realized my lag putting needs to improve because I'm not going to win majors if my lag putting isn't better. After imploring the help of Dave Pelz, we developed drills to improve my lag putting, and it's led to two Masters wins as well as a PGA on some quick greens. This off season what we addressed is driving. I always kind of put it back like, "I know I can hit a fairway if I have to," what have you. It wasn't the case and I had to address that. So this off season, that was the key element that we addressed. What is it with the golf equipment, what is it with the golf swing that we can do to eliminate that left shot that has crept in my game after starting my career having it be a hook be the problem. I've turned it over to be the block that has been the problem. And so now, we have addressed that with equipment, we've addressed it through instruction, and I'm reallyexcited about 2007 because I really think that shot is going to be eliminated the majority of time. Q. Just wanted to ask you, what do you think of the new host of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, and what do you think he's going to bring to the tournament this week? PHIL MICKELSON: I'm a big George Lopez fan because he is one of the nicest individuals that I've ever met. He treats people so well, everybody so well. And I think he's going to be a great addition to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. I think his golf game has less than to be desired but that's not the point. (Laughter) we're here for his personality and that's what he brings to the table. I also look forward to him playing up at AT&T, too. He's a wonderful person. I've been fortunate to have a chance to spend a little bit of time with him in the past and I just think the world of him. Q. You mentioned the new stamina, the emphasis on that. Is that directed at all toward the FedExCup finish with the four tournaments in a row? PHIL MICKELSON: Very possibly. Not just the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, but hopefully it will help out through the FedExCup finish where we're looking to be most likely playing six of seven events. That's going to be a big element of it, and one of the things that I added, too, was weight training. I haven't really done that in the past. I started lifting a lot more and instilling kind of a weight program that should hopefully help with endurance throughout the year. Q. I apologize for asking the first Masters question of the year, you've had a lot of success and good things that have happened to you, is there one Masters memory that stands out now as your favorites? PHIL MICKELSON: Come on now, 18, '04? Absolutely. (Laughter). Q. The first time around, what made that more special than the last? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, it was my first major. The first time I ever won and I birdied five of the last seven to do it, culminating with one on 18. That's what was so exciting. With that being said, I enjoyed the walk up 18 a lot more in 2006. That was awfully fun to have a three shot lead and to know that I had the tournament at hand. Q. Your history is to get off to a very fast start, I think it's four or five times you've won the first tournament you've played in a year, is that because you have taken the time off or because you've worked with the teachers just before the beginning of the season? PHIL MICKELSON: I think it's a little bit both. But the biggest area is I'm excited to play again. All of the things that I had to get done that were non golf related, I was able to get out of the way in the off season in the past as well as this year. I just can't wait to get started. I'm really excited about this year. I think the TOUR has a lot of new excitement thing, likes the FedExCup that should help create interest throughout the entire year, not just specific events. What's cool is that we actually have something to play for now at the end of the year, as opposed to having the Money List already decided, the Player of the Year already decided and it just being a tournament for the top 30 on TOUR. This is now going to be a four tournament stretch that will decide a lot. Q. You talked about changing your game after No. 18 there, had you hit that fairway, would you have made these changes anyway? PHIL MICKELSON: I probably wouldn't address them, no. Because I won the tournament. Q. You're on an incredible momentum roll there, but just that one shot made you rethink? PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, it looks like that one shot is what really made me go back, but you look at the whole tournament in general, and that's where I noticed there was a lot of shots lost left and I need to eliminate that miss. I need to create two things different. A slightly different golf swing and a slightly different equipment makeup in the head, and that's where the technicians, Alan Hoffman (ph) specifically of Callaway has been helpful in creating a little more heel weight that takes away that leak to the left. And then RickSmith with the golf swing, too, to make sure that doesn't creep in. Q. When you talk about the one shot, you mean the drive? PHIL MICKELSON: The drive, yeah. Q. Because you couldn't do anything after? PHIL MICKELSON: But it wasn't just that one drive on 18. I missed them through the entire tournament but that one drive made me look back at the entire tournament to say, what's going on here. Q. Can you talk about what your schedule will look like this year, you typically have not played a lot of late season tournaments, do you expect to play a lot of them this year and how does that change for you? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, specifically my schedule will be very similar like it has in the past for the West Coast where I'll play the next four weeks. I'll take one week off at L.A. Even though I love the golf course there, I just couldn't play six in a row because I play the week right after that at the Match Play in Tucson , which is five out of six. And then I'll end up playing the World Golf Championship at Doral, as well as Arnold Palmer's tournament. What's unusual is I'll be taking the week off before the Masters and before the U.S. Open most likely this year. But I do expect to play the same number of events typically, but in a more condensed time frame. Q. A couple of years ago, everybody remembers the Tiger versus Phil, everybody was watching it, of course you came on when Tiger was being introduced at the one tournament, do you dislike that, like it; do you think we're going to see a rekindling of that or what are your thoughts? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I don't know, he's obviously played very well. He's won the last six tournaments. It was fun. It was fun and I certainly want to get back to that level where I'm able to compete in each tournament, compete against Tiger week in and week out. But again, it's not easy. He's a remarkable player. Q. If the past when you've had, '99 and 2003, when you came back and bounced back with more than stellar seasons, what kind of confidence does that give you coming into this season after what happened last year, knowing that you've done it in the past? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I'm very excited about 2007. I'm not excited just because we have a new FedExCup season and so forth, but because I've addressed a problem in my game that I think I've created a solution. I'm excited to see how the first three or four weeks ago to see what the percentage of fairways, how that goes, what the percentage of shots missed left, and if so, how far. I'm looking in those first three or four weeks to see if the changes I've made in the off-season have made a significant, positive result. Q. In the golfing world you're such a big crowd draw. For you, who are people you like to see out here this week? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I really love the fact that Bob Hope years ago came into the game of golf and helped create it's popularity and now we have a lot of stars that have come in with Samuel Jackson, George Lopez taking over the tournament, we've had Justin Timberlake. I think Anthony Anderson is so funny. We have the past Presidents that have played. All of these people bring or expose the game of golf to a lot of people that otherwise would not be exposed to it. So I love the fact that they do that. Now, with that being said, I'm usually off the celebrity rotation so unfortunately I won't have a chance to spend a lot of time with those guys. But I do have a lot of work to do this first week, so I'm looking forward to focusing on my golf game rather than the fun celebrity rotation and all of the excitement that that brings. Q. Talking about trying to come out to a strong start, having five tournaments that you have won at the first of the year, is it added before he sure or does it give you a boost of confidence? PHIL MICKELSON: I don't think it's added pressure. I think it's more a confidence boost knowing that I've played well and won at some of these tournament sites; that I have some history to draw back on. I think the biggest thing is that I'm excited to play again and usually after a layoff that's what happened. My excitement level for the game comes back and I just can't wait to get started.
Q. You talked before about the stamina, was it different this year because you had work to do, can you just talk about how much you've played since November? PHIL MICKELSON: How much golf I've played in the last couple of months?
Q. Not necessarily rounds, but just playing working on your game? PHIL MICKELSON: Before I started playing and practicing in the off-season months, October, November, December, I spent more time developing a game plan. It's pointless for me to go out and hit balls unless I've got a game plan of what it is I'm trying to do, what type of changes I want to make in my equipment and what type of things I want to do differently with my driver and because of that I really didn't play much. I played maybe three or four rounds, three or four rounds in those months. But the last six days, last seven days, I was ready to implement the game plan and so I've worked hard the last seven days, spent 10, 12, 14-hour days trying to implement these changes and get my game sharp for the upcoming 2007 season.
Q. You touched a bit on stamina and sustaining your play throughout the year, what was it you did in 2004 that allows to you do that? PHIL MICKELSON: In 2004 what did I do? Q. You played really well from the opening day all the way through to the end; what was different about 2004 that allowed you to maintain that level of play through seven, eight months? PHIL MICKELSON: I was in better shape in 2004 than I was in 2005 or 2006. So I felt that that was the one variable that I had been missing, and so that's why I tried to address it in the off season.
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Inside Sports 1st String Magazine All Rights Reserved 2005 |
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His record of recovery and ultimate victory in such circumstances is unparalleled even in the face of the stiffest competition the game has to offer. 
Doing it on great courses like Monterey's famed Pebble Beach is something she will not forget. 
Jeff Sluman's comeback not only eclipsed Scott Simpson's two-stroke comeback in 2006 as the biggest come-from-behind win in tournament history but also was the largest on the Champions Tour since Denis Watson came from seven shots off the pace to claim the AT&T Champions Classic in March, 2008 in a playoff.
The Mercedes attracts the best of the best. Everybody in the field won on the PGA Tour in a 2007 season that seemed like it just ended.
